


The Forest That Bore His Name

by CraneCreator



Category: InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-03-20
Updated: 2014-09-05
Packaged: 2017-12-05 22:23:35
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 10
Words: 34,612
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/728562
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CraneCreator/pseuds/CraneCreator
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Inuyasha is trapped in the nightmare of Naraku's fantasies. He must find a way to escape and discover the one who can help him heal.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Scars

** The Forest That Bore His Name **

_~~ **Chapter One** ~~_

_**Scars**_

A sleek Town car wound its way through the mountain pass. The trees lining the roadway blurred past its window, occasionally coming into focus before blending away once more. The forest beyond that man-made division produced its yearly riot of color; leaves settling on the ground in a rich blanket. Small animals occasionally flitted into view before vanishing again and the music of the forest had begun to settle, changing to the calm, patient silence of winter.

The young hanyou absorbed it all, hardly daring to blink his golden eyes as a small excitement began to fill him. He knew this land, that tree, those mountains; this was home, the land where his ancestors had always lived, the land he had been taught to love.

The land that he had been ripped from him after his parents had died.

“What has you so fascinated, Inuyasha.” The silken voice slid between his shoulders; causing Inuyasha to jump slightly. Trying to keep his thoughts from his face, he turned to face the man who was sitting calmly, his laptop open on his lap, on the opposite end of the seat. Black tresses were pulled up into a topknot, before cascading down his back. He wore black slacks and a blue shirt, his tie hung around his shoulders and his black jacket lay discarded between them. Inuyasha turned all his attention to the youkai as claret eyes bore into his own.

Inuyasha immediately dropped his gaze, “I just thought this land was nice…Otou-san.” He heard the click of the laptop closing and stopped himself from flinching.

“You hesitated.” The voice stated coldly, and Inuyasha couldn't help but flinch as he felt the rising anger, _no…please, no!_ “How long have I been your father?” the youkai demanded.

“All my life.”

The lie rolled smoothly off his tongue, and Inuyasha saw his real father's image flash through his mind before he brutally squashed it. He's gone, he couldn't save him now.

Naraku had made a point of reminding him that his life before didn't matter, didn't count, that he had been nothing until Naraku had taken him in.

That his only worth was his value to Naraku; and after half a century under his `care' Inuyasha had come to accept this as truth.

A clawed hand reached out and painfully grasped his chin, wrenching his gaze up to those claret eyes. “Never forget that,” he hissed, his claws digging in, blood breaking loose from his skin, as he dragged Inuyasha forward, so that he was on all fours, face inches from the Naraku's. “You belong to me, always,” his hand digging deeper for a moment before he let go.

Inuyasha didn't dare move from his new position; he knew this mood as he knew all Naraku's moods. Naraku's normally possessive nature intensified when he was like this; a mood that had been appearing in alarming frequency this past week.

Inuyasha never knew what would trigger it, but he never concerned himself with that. He only knew what was expected of him. So he didn't move and a smirk of satisfaction crossed those poisonous lips.

That hand rose once again to his face, stroking the wounds he'd just created. _Maybe my submission will be enough_. Inuyasha closed his eyes and bared his throat as best he could. The hand trailed their claws down his throat before the touch suddenly vanished. For an instant Inuyasha almost opened his eyes, but he caught himself.

“Very good, Inuyasha, you have learned respect.” Inuyasha could here the fang-flashing smirk within that voice. “Lie down.”

What?

Even in his confusion Inuyasha didn't hesitate; he needed to make up for his mistake. He lowered his head into Naraku's lap, turning his head towards Naraku, one arm sliding into the space between the youkai and the seat, while the other wrapped around his knees. Naraku's claws traced his ears as they flattened themselves to his head. Those fingers drifted down his back and the sound of slicing fabric reached Inuyasha's ear, as he felt the claws brush his bare skin.

Inuyasha held his breath, praying that this would be all he did. It never seemed to be in his control, but still he kept on hoping, wishing, pleading for mercy; for a deliverance that all reason told him was never coming but which still burned through him.

And underneath that fire, was the undercurrent, the smoldering desire for freedom. Inuyasha opened his eyes, staring past Naraku's face to the trees still blinking in and out of focus beyond the window.

_Inuyasha raced to the door at the sound of the doorbell, excitement coursing through him. It had to be his parents returning from their trip._ _He_ _ignored_ _the calls of Kaede-obachan to slow down; leaping_ _over the banister on the second floor and landing_ _in front of the door. Grabbing hold of the_ _door handle, he slid it open and rushed forward._

_He let out a startled yelp when, instead of landing in his father's embrace,_ _his body collided with a leg. Inuyasha_ _leapt back, changing his view,_ _to get a better look at this stranger._

_It was a tall youkai, a crescent_ _moon_ _graced_ _the_ _middle of his forehead, and two crimson stripes ran on either side of his face. Cold gold eyes stared down at him and Inuyasha had a terrible urge to fidget._ _But his scent was what was most confusing; it kinda reminded him of Chichi-ue but yet was distinctly different._ _He heard Kaede-obachan come up behind him, and he turned_ _his head to see a deep frown settle on her features._

_“Sesshomaru-sama, this is an unexpected surprise.”_

_Inuyasha's head snapped around and he stared in utter amazement. This was Sesshomaru! This was his older brother! His jaw dropped open_ _before he_ _managed to squawk out, “A…Ani-ue.” That cold gaze snapped down at him for a moment before returning to Kaede-obachan._

_“Where is Chichi-ue?”_

_Inuyasha_ _realized he_ _was being pointedly ignored._ _So, gathering his courage,_ _he walked forward and yanked on his brother's pant leg._ _Immediately he felt a hand clasp the back of his shirt and lift him and for the first time came eye to eye with his half-brother._

_Inuyasha met that stare and was_ _unfazed, “Chichi-ue and Haha-ue are still on vacation, but they'll be back today.”_ _He stated putting all the authority of_ _his_ _fifty years into_ _his voice and crossing his arms for added effect._

_Those cold eyes narrowed before Inuyasha was_ _simply_ _dropped and the youkai walked past him, his parting shot,_ _“Know your place hanyou.”_

_Inuyasha watched the youkai_ _disappear into the house_ _and at that very first meeting a new goal had started to form in his young brain._ _He would earn his brother's respect;_ _he would prove to him_ _that his being a_ _hanyou_ _didn't_ _determine_ _his fate._

_Gods, he had been such an idiot._

Inuyasha's focus came back to the present as he felt Naraku's fingers trace the scars on his back, the ones those same claws had given him. The five jagged scars that ran across his back. Naraku's voice reached him once more. “I gave you these marks as proof that you belonged to me, that I was truly your father, for only your father could give you these scars.” His claws punctured the skin at the top of each scar. “Do you need another reminder?” he hissed.

“No, Otou-san.” This time there was no hesitation, and Inuyasha opened his eye and looked up at Nar..no his father, he reminded himself sharply. Trying to stop those treacherous thoughts, getting rid of the lies he kept telling himself. This was his life now, this was the man who fed and clothed him, this was his father. That cold fact sunk home anew, this was his new definition of father, it was the person who owned him, the one he wouldn't disobey not out of love or respect but out of fear. He had no one else in this world. His father looked down at him, a pleased glint to his expression

“You are learning, Inuyasha,” his hand resumed its stroking, “I am the only one who cares about you, you're merely a worthless hanyou to all others.” Inuyasha let these words sink into him, firming his resolve that he would do what his father demanded, he would show his worth in the only way he now knew how, by the value his father placed on him. The fact that he was here was proof enough of that. The fact that Sesshomaru had refused to care for him and had instead sent him into the system; it proved to Inuyasha his true place.

Inuyasha was able to relax himself as his father did nothing more than stroke his hair and speak. Closing his eyes, he loosened his muscles and stilled within that dangerous embrace.

“I remember when you first came to me. You were so uncouth and wild, no comprehension of your betters. But eventually you learned your place; you understood that I was your father, that I was the only one you needed to concern yourself with.” Suddenly his father's tone darkened and Inuyasha's eye snapped back open, warily staring as anger sparked within those hardened rubies. “But later, after over two decades in my care you had trouble once again, why do you think that is?”

Inuyasha stamped down the memories that seemed to surge as if commanded by that simple question. Suppressing the self-loathing, he gave the lies he knew his father wanted. “It was my time of change and I was insolent…I'm sorry I failed you, Otou-san.”

Inuyasha could hear the pleased expression in his father's voice, “but now we have all the time you need to make up for it.” Inuyasha's insides froze. _Please…please…don't._

And for once, Inuyasha was spared, his father seemed content to merely continue to stroke his hair, lifting it to let it glide through his fingers, before his hand would return to his branding scar, possessively gliding down each mark, while Inuyasha made sure his body stayed relaxed and loose within his father's hold.

Soon enough the car slowed then stopped, rousing Inuyasha from a slightly meditative state. His eye focused once more on his father, alert and ready. The mood had not passed, he had merely been appeased and Inuyasha wanted to continue to please his father, so he waited.

“Sit up.” Inuyasha's head promptly left his father's lap, bringing his legs underneath him so that he was kneeling, his gaze downcast. “You are to take my bags to my room and remain there.”

“Hai, Otou-san.” He heard the door open and the rustle of fabric as his father left the car. Inuyasha looked up; his father was gone from sight. He paid a quick glance around the car, making sure it was clear before snatching up his father's laptop case and exiting the car. He went to the back of the car and took the bags from the driver, trying to ignore the stare he received for his scars, made bare to view by his shredded shirt. As he headed for the entrance, his gaze traveled over his new home.

It was set into the mountain, done in the classical Nippon style, modernized with steel and concrete supports. Inuyasha stood there for a moment, taking it in, when a cool wind came whipping over the mountain, the scents upon it screamed of his old home, of his past life. A shudder wracked his frame and he turned his nose into that wind, scenting that just over the mountain was the territory of his past, so very close and yet it might as well have been on another continent. He was no longer welcome there; he had failed to prove himself worthy of that place.

He sighed as he turned away, the past no longer mattered, it was only to be remembered and he didn't have that luxury right this moment. He walked through the front door and headed towards the master bedroom.

Following the directions he had been given; he entered the room at the end of a long hallway, a feature his father had particularly liked, wanting to seclude and secure himself and Inuyasha. Inuyasha glanced around the room, unsurprised by neither its already furnished state nor its lack of windows; the king sized bed was set into a corner, the only westernized feature in the room, which was styled like the rest of the house. A large LCD screen was set into the opposite wall, right next to the doorway he stood in. A nightstand sat between the arched closet entrance with its shoji screens and the bed. Inuyasha headed for the closet, going around the low set table in the middle of the room, careful not to disturb the kneeling cushions. He noticed a second set of shoji screens set into the left wall that were partially open, beyond which he could see a staircase leading upwards; he paused, considering, but decided he would explore it later and entered the closet, opening the cases and proceeding to put everything away.

He had just finished hanging the suits when he noticed red fabric that was tucked into a case pocket. His hands shook as pulled out his fire rat haori. Memories that had been scrambling for his attention, ones he had tried so hard to forget, crashed through him.

_Inuyasha looked up from his homework, as he saw Kaede-obachan greet three_ _visitors_ _to her shrine. The_ _people looked_ _a little odd_ _though, two of them were in suits, one youkai, one human_ _while a third looked to be the police. Frantic conversion could be heard and Kaede-obachan let out a horrified gasp, before more fierce whispering ensued. Unable to restrain his curiosity any longer, Inuyasha got up from his_ _work and headed towards them;_ _but as soon as he got within hearing range the conversation_ _abruptly_ _died and all eyes turned towards him._

_He approached cautiously, his self-assurance disappearing at the strange looks he was getting from these people._

_His hand latched onto the old miko's hakama and he looked up at her, the question in his eyes. She knelt down beside him_ _, taking_ _his small hands into her own weathered ones. “Little one …I_... _I don't_ _know how to tell you this but…your parents were killed this afternoon.”_ _Inuyasha was struck dumb, white noise_ _seemed to rush into_ _his_ _ears, as if triggered by those impossible words;_ _and he_ _couldn't_ _grasp_ _the_ _rest of_ _what she said._ _He only remembered hearing her voice, trying to bring comfort where none could hope to exist._

_Suddenly one of the suits, the youkai,_ _was taking his hand and that startled him out of his stupor, “Wh..where…are you taking me.”_

_The reply was curt and cold, “To an orphanage, maybe someone will want you.”_

_Inuyasha was confused, “W..What?! Why?_ _Ani-ue_ _is still okay…right”_

_Kaede-obachan stopped the suit and knelt before him again, “Sesshomaru…isn't ready to take responsibility of you. He probably believes you'll be better off with someone…more suitable.” She gave him a small smile and a hug._ _He wrapped his arms around_ _her, giving a fierce and desperate hug, willing her to tell him it wasn't true._

_She pulled back slightly before looking up at the other adults. “Would you excuse us for a few minutes,” she asked politely. The others looked at each before shrugging and stepping away. Kaede turned back to him, ”Little one, I am going to try and bring you back here. I will speak with your brother, but if he is still unready for it, I will take care of you myself. I will not leave you to that place.” She leaned forward and gave him another brief hug, “Be brave, little one and all will be well again.”_

_In no time he was being pulled away again. He gave a final glance at the shrine as the_ _entrance_ _stairs slowly hid it and its miko guardian._

_He faced forward again when he nearly tripped down the stairs, the same suit grunted,_ _“Stupid hanyou,” as he continued dragging Inuyasha forward._ _“You know that miko was lying to you.”_

_Inuyasha's head shot up, “W…what?” Kaede-obachan never lied!_

_“Sesshomaru-sama doesn't want the burden of a hanyou,_ _that's_ _why you're going to an orphanage.”_

_“But I…I didn't do anything wrong.” He could feel tears gathering in his eyes as everything started to sink in._

_“You're a hanyou;_ _that is sin enough.”_

He clasped the clothing to his chest, remembering those words, that bitterness, the pain. He rocked himself lightly as he knelt on the floor of his father's closet. Slowly, he forced the pain away, taking deep breaths in order to calm down. He uncurled himself from the floor and from around his haori, wiping away the tears he wasn't suppose to cry before he placed his past out of the way, and finished the unpacking. Once done, he headed towards the bathroom deciding a shower was best for now.

He entered the bathroom located at the back end of the closet, barely noticing the large tub set into a corner. All he wanted was the soothing thrum of a shower. He stripped himself of his pants before turning on the water and stepping in, letting the pounding spray surround him, drowning out his sense of the world, secluding himself from the outside; reveling in the massaging rhythm of the water, the feel of it sluicing down his body, the caress of clawed hands as they slid around his hips.

Inuyasha's eyes snapped open as arms encircled his body, pulling him against his father's chest. The breath evaporated from his lungs, _oh gods…please no._

The claws began to stroke his abdomen as his father's breath ghosted over his ear. “You didn't wait for me.”

Panic welled up inside him and he gasped out around the rising fear, “I…I'm sorry, Otou-san, I didn't think.”

He heard a dark laugh from the youkai behind him, “You'll just have to make it up to me,” came the reply as the hands shifted and positioned Inuyasha so that he was leaning against the wall, bared for his father's attentions. He closed his eyes trying to brace himself from what he knew was to come.

He felt those claws return to his hips, as his father's stiffened member bumped against his entrance. Inuyasha gritted his teeth, trying to control the fear that flooded him and waited. He didn't have to wait long. In one swift thrust his father was buried inside him, Inuyasha's whole body tensing with the pain, his insides screaming, as a shiver of pleasure vibrated through his father to him, before the youkai leaned forward to whisper once more into his ear, “So fucking delicious.” Inuyasha felt his bile rise as poisonous words dripped from his father's mouth into his soft ear. “This is where you worth lies, hanyou, this is what you live for…my tolerance, my pleasure.” The last words seeming to wrap around him and hold him as possessively as the claws that still caressed his skin.

“Hai, Otou-san.”

“Good boy.” A compliment entwined with degradation. His father's claws returned to Inuyasha's waist as he began to pump himself in and out of Inuyasha. Inuyasha tensed against each thrust as if it were a strike, knowing blood must be coursing down his thighs from the invasion, but unable to feel it thanks to the pounding water.

Inuyasha bowed his head, resting his forehead against the wall, trying to distance himself. His father's claws dug into his hips and as Inuyasha stared red swirls expanded into his small view of the water at his feet. His father pumped faster and harder, those claws digging through more flesh. He forcibly pulled Inuyasha back into the now with the abuse and he could no longer hold in the cry of pain, crying out again and again as the thrusts grew more violent until his father tensed behind him, his release sweeping through him, as his seed spilled into Inuyasha. Inuyasha's shoulders slumped and he barely stopped the impulse to curl around himself.

His father leaned over him again wrapping himself around the weary hanyou and said, “Your cries are so good, Inuyasha. I always want more.” Fangs latched onto his sensitive ear and surprised another pained cry from him. “Good boy.” Came the dark whisper, as his father unwrapped himself from around the boy.

“Dry yourself, then come back to the room.” Inuyasha nodded, turning off the water, feeling worse then when he'd entered and followed his father out of the shower, glimpsing him as he disappeared into the closet. Inuyasha bent to snatch up the towel he had left on the floor, when he was reminded of the cuts along his thighs and hips. He pulled some toilet paper off the roll and dabbed at the wounds till all the blood had stopped, and then quickly dried himself. He grabbed up the towel and clothes, dumping everything into the laundry basket as he passed through the closet back into the room.

His father was lying on the bed, propped up on pillows, wearing pajama pants and watching the news. He turned his head as Inuyasha approached a smirk curling over his face as his gaze traveled over Inuyasha's naked form.

Inuyasha came up next to the bed and dropped down on his knees, his gaze on the floor the entire time. His father's hand wrapped around his chin and pulled him forward. Inuyasha went, carefully positioning himself so that he straddled his father's lap but kept his back bowed in submission. Suddenly those claws moved to his hair and fisted, wrenching him forward as his lips were smashed in a brutal kiss. Inuyasha immediately let his mouth open to the questing tongue, submitting himself and waiting till his father was satiated. Finally his hair was released and the youkai pulled back from the kiss. Inuyasha was now sitting in his lap, his bare chest pressed against his father's. “It seems you have learned.” That pleased smile crossed his face once more and Inuyasha felt relief sweep through his system. When his father was pleased Inuyasha usually suffered less.

“Lie down and sleep, you'll need your rest for later.” His tone implying what his words did not say. Inuyasha simply nodded, going to lie down on the side closest to the wall, where he always slept so that his father would always know if he tried to get up. Claws closed on the back of his neck, Inuyasha went rigid. “Lie down, here.” He didn't really understand and confusion reigned in his mind at this change, but he didn't question. He simply moved back and lowered his body so that it covered his father's legs, his head once more in his lap.

He closed his eyes and began forcing his body into sleep, having learned early in life to control his body's need for sleep; grateful for the training that now allowed him to appease his father's temper and earn himself one less punishment. The sound of his father licking Inuyasha's blood from his claws was the last thing he heard.

~~~~~

The boy drifted off to sleep as Naraku finished drinking that delicious fluid and began to caress the scars on his back; his mark upon the boy. Having bestowed it on him the first night he had taken him. He closed his eyes in blissful remembrance, remembering the screams and cries of that first night, before thinking back to when he had first seen the boy at the orphanage.

_He had been the only hanyou there, and had_ _been ostracized by the other children, practicing by himself in a corner, ignoring the occasional taunt._ _Naraku had paid_ _to_ _be informed_ _by this and several other orphanages,_ _whenever_ _any children_ _of marked descent or special abilities arrived._ _Occasionally_ _he would get a call but each time he viewed one he was disappointed, the child never being what he was searching._ _Now, as_ _he walked over to the secluded corner, a slow smile crossed his lips_ _watching as the pup spun around and kicked an invisible_ _opponent; before_ _landing_ _gracefully, keeping his form._ _Apparently, this one had already spent several decades at a few other orphanges. The last one being shut down when the caretaker died._

_This boy had potential to be sure. According to Naraku's information, he was even descended from a Daiyoukai. Naraku could see the trim form, the lithe body, underneath the bulky red cloth; just waiting to burst into maturity. Even if this hanyou wasn't what he was looking for Naraku could make a tidy profit from him._

_He stopped in front of the boy. Inuyasha had glared up at him, his focus intense and hostile. Naraku hid his desire to show the hanyou his place, even as he thrilled when a small warmth emanated from his pocket. He pulled the sliver of stone, the culmination of his search so far, from his pocket; a small but unmistakable glow emanating from its depths._

_The small hanyou's glare had changed to a look of confusion when he'd spotted the stone, but Naraku had quickly pocketed it again. He had finally found it. He would have to be patient, there was still much more he needed. The hanyou for one wasn't even mature nor was he complete. But Naraku was nothing if not patient. And with this boy now in his possession it was only a matter of when rather than if._

Naraku came back to himself, his claws still absently tracing the scar. He looked down at the teenager in his lap. Yes, he had what he wanted. Silver hair gliding across his shoulders, spilling onto the bed, surrounding the face that would never quite lose its fire. The body was lithe, slender; holding its own unique grace and most importantly claimed by the scars engraved in that slightly honeyed flesh.

He had come to possess an exquisite creature, it lived only for his pleasure and it would lead him to that which he had searched for, yearned for, for all these many centuries.

~~~~~

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha and company.

A/N: I noticed that the formatting had gone completely to hell. So I'm going back over previous chapters, doing some more editing and reposting. Then it's on to new chapters!

 


	2. Lost Childhood

**~~ _Chapter Two_ ~~**

**_Lost Childhood_ **

Inuyasha opened his eyes and was awake. There was no gradual ascension from the bliss of sleep. He couldn't afford that. No--there was merely the abrupt jump from unconsciousness to wakefulness, senses alert for danger; and at that moment they were screaming that he was very much in peril.

But then --- when was he not.

Every time he'd wake his instincts would scream their shrill cries to escape, to flee, to just get away or even to get up and fight---and every time he simply pushed them aside, pushed them down. It didn't matter, that simple knowing didn't stop anything from happening and acknowledging those warnings; the clambering alarm bells in his head, would only cause him more problems.

It simply wasn't worth it.

He had no one else, no one but this youkai, his father---the one that tortured and terrified him. Inuyasha felt depression settle on him; his father was right. He had only found his place through the value others placed on him. He could only see his own worth through the eyes of strangers. Strangers who looked down at him for the love between a youkai and human or innumerous faces that sought him out to sate their own desires, desires he saw mirrored in the eyes of his father.

Inuyasha's let his eyes roam up to the youkai above him, trying to get a read on him, to see if that look once more swam in those depths---but his father's eyes were turned away from him, focused on the screen, the flashes of picture dancing across his face and giving his skin an eerie glow.

Inuyasha's head still rested in his father's lap, the blanket that had been folded at the end of the bed, had been pulled up to cover most of his body. He noticed the scent of fresh outdoors and thought briefly upon where it could be coming from. He could hear the rapid clicking of keys off to his left and figured his father was likely working on his laptop---set up on the bedside table. The shower had just been an entertainment for him before he had to get back to work.

He glanced at the clock, noting it was just after eight; giving him less than four hours until the function planned for tonight; a minor celebration of his father's new arrangements and mainly an excuse for a bragging exposition. He hoped he wouldn't have to attend, but didn't count on such a reprieve. He father liked to show him off to others, for what reason he was never quite sure. Perhaps only wishing to show his clear ownership of him.

The party also meant that his father would likely not be sleeping tonight, far too preoccupied with the planned festivities and the business usually conducted afterwards. It didn't much matter, his father's youkai nature saw to it that sleep was only a very minor inconvenience; only mattering to Inuyasha so far as in the fact that his father would want him there the whole time. His own erratic sleep pattern was mainly dictated by his father and his tainted blood's demand for more sleep than that of a pure youkai.

His mind drifted back to the current problem of his uncomfortable position. His arms, which were loosely looped around his father's waist, had become numb from the odd angle. He wasn't pretending to still be asleep; that would have been pointless. His father would have heard the tell tale change in his breathing. He simply didn't want his movements to direct his father's attention to him nor break his concentration.

He began to slowly flex his muscles, shifting his arms as little as possible to restore normal blood flow. His efforts at discretion weren't enough; his father gave him a quick, hard glance; a clear order to cease his restless movements.

Inuyasha immediately froze again, focusing his attention on his father's face. For several minutes his father chose to ignore him, but - eventually a slow satisfied smile crawled across that face.

The face turned down towards him, focusing that inconstant temperament solely on him. But the smile remained; Inuyasha was usually safe as long as his father was pleased. The clawed hand rose again, resuming it slow strokes thorough his hair.

“You have been doing very well since our relocation. It seems taking you away from those distractions was what you needed.” _Distractions? What could his father be talking about?_

_Doesn't matter,_ he scolded himself. _Pay attention._

“You can make yourself more comfortable---until I'm finished with this.” His attention returned to the laptop and Inuyasha held back his sigh of relief. For now he was fine, his father's work would keep him distracted for a while longer. He wouldn't think on what was to come after.

He shifted his muscles to work out the stiffness, careful not to leave his position; before tightening his grip around his father's waist, nuzzling his head into his lap and being rewarded with a contented sigh.

Inuaysha had never quite understood why---but it had always pleased his father when he performed these mimicries of affection; as if these motions conveyed that Inuyasha would have chosen this life for himself. He finished resettling himself, having adjusted his head so that he could now see the large screen, his ears lifting to catch the somber tones of the newscaster.

Inuyasha had never been much for book studies. It wasn't that he was stupid; quite the contrary it's just that he preferred to learn history and combat, instead of poetry and math. But ever since his arrival into this life; studying had been one of the few privileges that remained to him. Allowed to exercise only occasionally when his father wasn't home or didn't want him right on hand; but strictly forbidden from practicing the moves, stances, kata that swam around his head and so reminded him of the other life not lived.

The generosity that afforded him his albeit limited studies, was another aspect of this life that Inuyasha had yet to work out. From his reading in history he had quickly figured out that his current position was very much like that of a slave from centuries past, though his particular life's road had never been spelled out in any texts. He'd also discovered that slaves were forbidden any type of education, death often a punishment for those with the audacity to simply learn how to read.

It left Inuyasha bewildered.

_What's my role?---My place?_ But these questions always remained unanswered. The only role he could discern was what his father chose for him. He was to be whatever his father demanded and his only hope was to make this life a little less painful.

~~~~~

The screen in front of Naraku blurred, his eyes losing focus, as the boy nuzzled his face into his lap, causing the banked embers of his lust to stir. Naraku sighed his pleasure, before asserting his control once more and refocusing his attention. He continued his perusal of the documents in front of him. One hand still stroking through that silver waterfall, luxuriating over the clean texture, before occasionally switching to glide down his back, over those scars; itching to finish what had been started.

He suppressed the urge, continuing on with his work. He would get his chance later tonight, after this work was done and before his fête.

He frowned slightly. It was a shame that Inuyasha would be unable to attend; Naraku had always enjoyed showing of his hanyou.

He waved it off, the cruel smile returning. It didn't matter, soon enough he could again enjoy displaying Inuyasha to enemies and allies alike; but he would no longer have to worry about over eager guests.

The smirk widened at that thought; contemplating on how he had thrown the boy with his increasingly possessive behavior; but his wariness only served Naraku's ends, as the boy tried to anticipate and please him even more. His training of the boy was coming to fruition; but others were trying to redirect his efforts and incidents involving the hanyou had begun to become more frequent. Naraku clearly remembered what had been the tipping point.

_He_ _mingled among the guests_ _that were assembled in the main room_ _of_ _his downtown penthouse. Inuyasha had requested a short bathroom_ _break_ _so was currently gone from his side. Usually at such events he displayed Inuyasha to the assembled_ _simply_ _by keeping him by his side,_ _basking in the jealous glares and covetous glances; he had already showed off his prize to most and felt it nothing to give him this token request. It also helped drive home a point, not only to the gathered but to the hanyou himself; he was to do nothing unless given his explicit leave._

_Naraku glanced around at some of the assembled, noting the politicians among them, reminded briefly of the laws that protected his right to do what he would with the hanyou._

_Hanyou who_ _weren't cared for by relatives were put into the adoption system, and given out to the first who would take them; no questions asked. And as long as the hanyou was over a century; the system turned a blind eye to anything. It was_ _a_ _common practice for people wishing a servant; and since slavery had been outlawed many centuries ago, it was the easiest route. Politicians and their constituents just wanted to know that hanyou weren't burdening the system._

_And hanyou_ _feared_ _that system_ _more than any other instituition._

_Currently, however,_ _he was_ _not speaking of such_ _pleasantries;_ _instead he was talking with a young CEO, about a possible deal. He wasn't employing much of his skill with_ _this particular prey_ _since he was turning out to be tediously easy_ _to manipulate, but that made it all the better for him. While the young upstart was not much, his connections could prove useful._

_Still,_ _Naraku was becoming bored with the conversation. He_ _glanced at the hallway the boy had disappeared down._ _Inuyasha_ _had been gone longer than was necessary and Naraku was beginning to get annoyed. Sealing his plans_ _with the_ _CEO, he wrapped up the conversation and turned down the hallway to seek out Inuyasha._ _He was going to punish the hanyou for delaying in his return; no doubt dallying with something_ _or other._

_Naraku slowed his steps as he approached the corner that led to the dead end hallway, where the bathroom_ _was located; hearing a scuffle just beyond his range of sight. It was accompanied by the deep thud of something being thrown into the far wall._

_He came around the corner and stopped,_ _irritated_ _at the scene before him._

_Hiten, a guest from the gala, had Inuyasha pinned to the wall. A leg clad in black dress pants, was trying to force itself between the hanyou's legs. Hiten's long black braid swung over his royal blue dress shirt as his head moved_ _down the boy's exposed neck. One hand was over their heads pinning both Inuyasha's to the wall; with claws buried in the stone, creating a makeshift manacle. His other hand was busy making its way through Inuyasha's shredded dress shirt, claws ripping into skin, trying to force the boy's compliance._

_For the boy was struggling. Inuyasha snarled at the one restraining him, trying to get his fangs into Maten. "Let go of me, ya fucker!"_

_He kicked out his legs, but with Maten between them he couldn’t get a good angle._

_This was not the first time Naraku had come upon such a scene, but its occurrence was becoming more and more frequent; and more and more annoying._

_Naraku began to approach the two, intent on ending this tryst; and the moment he moved forward, his scent must have reached the hanyou's sensitive nose. His head snapped around eyes focusing in on him coloring draining from his face even as his gaze dropped, his body going slack in submission and a slight shake overtaking his frame, fear replacing the anger. The boy believed he was going to be punished. Naraku smirked, he wasn't mad at the hanyou, he was in fact very pleased. Inuyasha had showed his submission to him instantly and had been obeying his rules even while out of sight. He would_ _finish with the youkai brat_ _then_ _would set about reclaiming Inuyasha._

_Naraku reached forward, grabbing the mass of braid; using it to yank the youkai from his hanyou and chuck him down the hall. The youkai tried to hold on to its prey; claws digging and ripping through Inuyasha's flesh before he lost his hold. He barely caught himself in order to land on his feet, snarling at the interruption._

_Naraku turned towards the affronted youkai, who quickly changed his tune; before glancing back at Inuaysha. The hanyou had slid to the floor; several wounds, including the ones made when the youkai had tried to hold on, seeped blood. Naraku could practically taste the delicious aroma. He turned back to the brat, anger mixing with_ _annoyance._

_He was becoming fed up of warding off overstepping guests. He needed to remedy this situation and make it clear who owned the hanyou._

_Plans began forming in his head; his mountain estate outside the city had recently been completed and it was much more suited to his tastes then his current penthouse. He would arrange their relocation and finish what he had started._

_“Inuyasha,” Immediately the boy's focus, which had been on his wounds, snapped to him. “Go to my room and await orders there. Do nothing else.”_

_The boy quickly stood, head bowed, “Hai Otou-san,” before he darted past the other youkai and disappeared._

Naraku looked down at the hanyou, now docile in his lap and congratulated himself once more on his success. Inuyasha didn't realize how much his conditioning had changed him; but Naraku could see it plainly. And that was exactly how he wanted it.

~~~~~

Stillness had settled over the room; filled only with the newscaster's grim tones and the clicking of the keys from the laptop. Eventually he heard the sounds of his father's typing cease and the computer closed on standby. Inuyasha shifted in his lap once more, so his eye was again trained on the face above him.

His father stared down at him a moment before leaning back on his hands, stretching the long line of his chest. Inuyasha licked suddenly dry lips. He knew what his father wanted; he wanted him to guess, to anticipate his wants.

Inuyasha rose slowly to all fours careful to keep his head slightly lowered, his back slightly bowed. He glanced up at his father's face, seeing the smirk that played on his lips and Inuyasha knew what he wanted. And this knowing was one of the worst things; this knowledge that should only exist between lovers and that only Inuyasha had.

He moved forward till their chests were pressed together, placing an open mouthed kiss on his father's jaw. His lips moved along the natural curves in his father's skin; trailing down the long line of his throat, licking and sucking, careful not to let his fangs be felt. Inuyasha's senses were on high alert; keenly aware of his father's reactions, trying to gauge his own performance.

Slowly he moved lower, using his fangs to gently graze his collarbone, the only place it was allowed. Completing his father's pleasure there, he again shifted lower taking the first perk nub into his mouth; feeling his father grind their hips together in instinctual thrusts, the hardness there grinding at his opening, as his father moaned out his pleasure. Inuyasha switched to the other, placing more open-mouthed kisses between the two; while one of his hands rose to the waistband of the pants. He lifted himself slightly, his mouth never leaving skin while he shifted backwards; working the pants down, his mouth following, until he came to his father's throbbing shaft.

Inuyasha swallowed the nausea that rose up his throat as he lowered himself and took one sac into his mouth; his father's reaction was instant, his hips jerking forward. Inuyasha went with the movement, his tongue curling around while he pulled very slightly. He let the testicle drop from his mouth and just as with the nipples moved across to give its partner the same treatment.

His ears were flattened to his head in order to block out the crude and cruel words that were directed between moans and gasps, but it didn't always work and some still reached him. “Your mouth is so sweet, it was made for this. _You_ were made for this.”

Inuyasha squeezed his eyes shut, focusing solely on his task. He wrapped his mouth around this father's erection, successfully stifling those words. Those hips thrust forward again, driving that shaft down his throat, but he didn't gag. He had been ready for it. He continued working his mouth over the shaft, swirling his tongue around it, his lips met the base every time his father thrust forward. Inuyasha lost his rhythm as his father's thrusts became more urgent; merely trying to continue with his ministrations. He felt the body beneath him go as stiff as the shaft in his mouth, the thrusts coming even harder; until it swelled, slamming down his throat a few more times before the semen burst forth. Inuyasha swallowed down every last drop, licking his tongue over the entire length; making sure it was clean.

Once done he drew back, kneeling back on his heels between his father's legs. The youkai sat up once more, sexual ki still vibrating off his skin. Inuyasha waited, his composure calm and submissive, gaze lowered and ears fattened. Inuyasha knew they weren't done - he could tell his father wasn't satiated yet _._ The youkai drew his legs from around him, before rising up on all fours.

Inuyasha lowered himself down, arms bending beneath him. Inuyasha didn't feel up to any more. His stomach was still trying to reject the seed he had swallowed.

His father circled him, making Inuyasha feel distinctly like prey, before molding his body over his. Inuyasha glanced to the side and nearly screamed in terror. A tentacle was revealing itself from his father's side, slowly descending and reaching around between his hips and the bed. Inuyasha immediately pressed his hips upwards, trying to get away, instead presenting a target to his father's quickly re-hardening erection.

Inuyasha whimpered; he was terrified. He had no idea what to expect when his father used his tentacles, but it generally promised a lot of pain. The tentacle wrapped tighter, until the demon's cock was pushing into his entrance and his ass was molded to his father's front. Inuyasha tried to stop the shakes that were quickly stealing his control. He kept his face pressed into his crossed arms but froze completely when he felt five claws position themselves at the top of each scar.

_Oh…Oh gods no!_

It made sense now, his father's worsening possessiveness, the move and the increasing attention to his mark; his father was going to change it from a simple scar upon his skin to a true mark of possession. A cry of fear and impending pain escaped him before he could suppress it and tears pricked at his eyes as he felt something he had harbored for so long, die.

He had never realized that he had held out some small hope of escaping this life, that when he was old enough Naraku would grow tired of him and let him leave. No, he hadn't realized that such foolishness still lived in him; until he felt it die.

Those claws began their slow drag through his skin, as his father thrust forward, burying deep. The scent of his own blood reached his nose, at the same time the searing pain blocked out the sound of tearing flesh from reaching his ears. Inuyasha bit his lip as hard as he could trying to stop his cries, but as the claws continued to break open the scars, one of the most sensitive parts of his body and the thrusts took up their hard rhythm, he couldn't stop himself.

His cries joined the disharmony of their rutting; only encouraging the hard rhythm. Inuyasha never moved from where he had been placed; he never fought what he knew was to come. He didn't have anything else and he wasn't strong enough to fight against his father.

Finally the claws reached the opposite edge of his back. Tremors were wracking his frame while he waited, his teeth grinding in between his cries and the thrusts inside him that never ceased. The tentacle unwrapped itself from around his waist and slithered over his back. He felt it as his father pressed his claws into his own tentacle; which now lay across across his back and released the purest form of Naraku's shouki.

It oozed out, a sickening smell seeping from it, as the tentacle crawled along his skin, luxuriating in its destructive path, even as it reached the first gaping wound.

The pain was unbelievable; it blocked out everything else and for a moment Inuyasha thought his body wouldn't take it, that it had reached it limits and was about to give up. A punch to the gut without the strike, but just as effective as stealing the breath from him.  Inuyasha's jaw hung open, a strangled gasp squeezing past his collapsing throat. But his heart kept beating and the tentacle kept moving - covering every inch of every scar with that oozing fire, the smell of the mixture, sharp and cloying.

The fear and pain were taking their toll on him; making his nausea worse and draining him of his energy. But he vowed to himself that he wasn't going to be sick, his hands fisting to ground him. He let his head fall to the side, watching as his father pierced his own hand - blood welling up and pouring down - before spreading the blood along each scar.

To Inuyasha it felt as if he was adding liquid ice to the burning poison, the hard cold driving needles into his spine. The two pains collided and amplified each other and Inuyasha found the air give voice to this new pain.

He didn't understand how he was still conscious, his body had never remained aware through such agony; his body's failsafe system against pain wasn't working and his mind was paying the price.

It was so agonizing he didn't even notice when his father came inside of him and the monster's youki sealed over the open gashes, keeping that toxic mix inside him until his body absorbed it all and his skin could heal over. Inuyasha collapsed the moment he was released, trying to calm his body, taking in great lung fulls of air as though he'd just run a marathon.

His father remained over him composing himself, and recovering from his `play.' Inuyasha didn't care; just as long as he was done. The pain still raced through his back, and he didn't want to face the prospect of another such session with his wounds and his new inability to black out. Inuyasha assumed that the toxins within him were what was preventing his escape.

The thought of suicide flitted through his mind. Of putting a true end to this pain. But he wiped it away just like all the other times it had popped into his head. He always remembered the words from his past life, that suicide was a truest act of cowardice. What little courage he mustered everyday was used simply to live that day and not think about tomorrow.

He closed his eyes in an attempt to will his body asleep and finding it impossible to do. He felt a warm tongue start its slow glide along his back, laving up the blood that coated it, and strengthening the youki seal. The shaking hadn't subsided at all; his instincts screaming at him to run, but he couldn't. It wasn't only a matter of his punishment if he tried, but the simple fact that he didn't have the physical power to even sit up much less run.

He decided that the best thing to do was concentrate on pulling oxygen in, retracting his senses as best he could to numb the pain. The hands on either side of him moved, shifting underneath him to pull him up and back. Inuyasha slumped in his hold, unresisting as they slid off the bed.

He did notice the odd set up that he was placed on; multiple towels had been placed on one of the kneeling pillows, covering the immediate area. His father placed him on the covered pillow, but his knees promptly slid to either side; and the moment his father's arms disappeared he slumped onto the table.

He was absolutely terrified, what was going on?! The scar was already finished _._ He heard the wood groan under his father's added weight, one hand braced on the tabletop in front of him, Naraku's voice ruffling his ears.

“You did very well.” He crooned. “Now there is just one more thing to be done and then you can rest. I will be occupied for the next couple days, you will be ready for me then.”

_Oh gods, oh gods, oh gods._

“H…” He cleared his throat that was raw from screaming. “H---Hai, Otou-san.”

The weight hovering over him left abruptly, giving Inuyasha a slight reprieve as a blue porcelain jar appeared next to his side, emanating a strong medicinal smell, making him apprehensive as to what it could be for. His father dipped his hand into the jar, coming out with a generous glob of some softly glowing gel, his hand quickly disappearing from view; before he felt it settle at the base of his spine, cool on his skin.

And then agony exploded anew throughout his body.

He screamed as talons ripped into skin, tearing through flesh to wrap around his tail; the one hidden inside his body. It was drawn and uncoiled from its resting place; moist pops resounding through his body. Feeling every tug and pull, nerves screaming as the end of his spine was dragged from his body. He could think of nothing, the pain invading every inch of his being, unable to even grasp what such horrible pain foretold.

And finally not even the shouki could support him. Sounds, senses and most importantly the pain faded and he never felt the impact as his head hit the table, his mind lost to darkness.

~~~~~

Naraku continued extracting the blood and fluid soaked tail, slightly disappointed that those delicious cries had stopped.

He took another scoop from the jar, soaking the appendage and surrounding area, the concoction aiding the repair of the muscles and nerves; preventing further scarring from the shouki that was still flooding the hanyou's system.

It also catalyzed the end of the spell that he had forced into early activation; the manifestation of the body's signal for the end of maturation.

In his hanyou's case it would have been the emergence of his tail. But by extracting it early and using the youki infused herbal gel to finish the development of the tail; Naraku had frozen the body's growth into this form. And most importantly Inuyasha's spirit would now change, would now be, fully realized. The perfect vessel just waiting to used. 

He watched as the silken fur streamed through his fingers, slick with the odd mix of chemicals and gore. Naraku had planned this all out. From the moment when Inuyasha first came into his `care', he'd consulted specialists in order to have everything ready and chosen his time carefully; waiting until Inuyasha had reached his full height and was completely under his control. The incident with Maten had proved that well enough.

He stood up, a self-satisfied smirk on his face, as he watched his blood and shouki mix with Inuyasha's blood through the translucent shimmer of his youki, before turning to the bathroom. He needed to shower and get ready for the party. There were deals to be done tonight that could prove to be nearly as important as the good work he had just finished here. And once his business was completed he would have all the time he wanted with his hanyou.

~~~~~

A/N: Thanks for everyone's reviews and I am working on the next chapter.

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha and company.

 


	3. The Past's Visitation

**~~ _Chapter Three_ ~~**

**_The Past’s Visitation_ **

The room was cavernous, the steady din from the crowd echoing off its marble contours. Servants scampered among the gathered guests, offering drinks and appetizers, whisking away empty chinaware. The assembly of youkai and humans mingled and conversed exchanging elaborate stories, false praise and thin sentiment. High polished beams of marble and granite soared overheard of the agate mosaic embossed into the floor, while expensive sculptures and tapestries were showcased along the walls. The assembly room of Naraku's new home was truly an impressive sight and Sesshomaru could not have been more bored by it all if he'd tried.

The only thing to be gotten from this gathering was irritation. The people here were either trying to stab each other in the back or trying to latch onto someone more powerful and feed. In truth Sesshomaru would not be here at all if it weren't for the fact that Naraku now occupied lands adjacent to his own. Sesshomaru would never do deals with this ilk, so he remained separate from the crowd. Some slime would occasionally work up the courage to try to trap him in talk of something or other, but his general lack of response or in fact, any real facial expression tended to intimidate even the obsequies of worms from bothering him for very long. He had managed to get rid of the most recent irritant and was enjoying the small reprieve while his two inu youkai guards kept meticulous watch.

Sesshomaru glanced down at Aiko, her and her brother, twins; had been loyal to his family for longer than he could remember. They both stood, and by stood that meant all four paws planted firmly on the ground, a little more than waist high and could be counted on for swift action and good judgment. Their physical appearance however, contradicted their sibling ties. Aiko was all solid black and stoic manners while her brother frequently resembled a snow bunny on speed. Sesshomaru was mystified as to how the two could come from the same gene pool, but the odd miss match seemed to work for them.

While Sesshomaru had been getting rid of the most recent sycophant, Aiko had waited patiently to catch his eye and when she had it she pointedly turned her attention to a hallway that Sesshomaru could just see through the rails of the second floor; one that appeared to lead deeper into the mountainside.

Sesshomaru prized many of the skills that the twins possessed but one of the most valuable was being able to converse discreetly, preventing unwanted ears from hearing. He raised an eyebrow in inquiry and she swiped a paw over her nose in response.

So it was a scent that had caught her interest.

He inhaled discreetly and picked up the fragrance that had engaged Aiko's curiosity. It was pungent, with an iron and copper undertone, probably blood; along with some other flavor, interlaced and subtle, that tweaked some lost memory. It might be worth his time to investigate; the host of this gathering was a youkai of questionable heritage and deceitful practices; most likely it was something the owner of this over glorified catacomb didn't wish his guests to see. Sesshomaru was no fool; and with Naraku's new home now practically sitting at his doorstep he would take precautions not to be caught unawares. In any case it might be mildly interesting, hopefully more intriguing then the current entertainment.

And that underlying scent bothered him; his memory had never failed him before, especially when it came to smells. Why was this one eluding him?

Aiko was staring at him, waiting; he gave a slight nod and she was gone. In all his years with the twins he had yet to see Aiko actually blend with the shadows. For that is what she had done, using her magic to merge with the shades and get by undetected. This innate talent for spying was far more valuable to him then any attack skills; after all, he was perfectly capable of defending himself.

With Aiko gone he once again let his attention wander. All that was needed now was patience to see if anything would arise to alleviate his boredom.

His restraint paid off; after less then a minute a high pitch yip made its way to his ears, a sound few could detect and only an inu could interpret. Since he and his guards accounted for all the inu at this assembly they were the only ones to give it any heed.

Sesshomaru cast a cursory glance about the room. His host was nowhere in sight; no doubt in some more private quarters with less than savory company, but that was a side note. Now assured that the only person with the audacity to question him was not present, Sesshomaru made his way along the room and up the stair; keeping his gaze vague and disinterested so no one would make the mistake of thinking he wished to speak with them.

Soon he was beyond the din of the main room, winding his way through the hallways. It didn't escape his notice that none of the rooms were directly connected and it gave the whole building a fortress like feel. He followed Aiko's scent, Haku trotting along next to him, when a particularly strong draft of that metallic fragrance reached his nose and he suddenly knew what he was going to find.

Sesshomaru would reflect back on this moment in the coming weeks, on that instant where he could have stopped and turned right around. Ignored what surely was beyond the turn of the corner. He would ask why he hadn't. He didn't need to go any farther. His curiosity assuaged.

But his feet kept moving, carrying him ever closer to the scene of a broken promise, of the only responsibility he'd ever refused. Of his failure to fulfill his dead father's last wish. Sesshomaru wanted to know none of it, but he kept moving and suddenly he was in the room that housed the battered body of his little hanyou half-brother.

The smell of it all was the first thing to really hit Sesshomaru. The scent of shouki was so thick it was almost tangible, infecting everything in the room, including Inuyasha. It was nauseating but the sight was worse. For a brief moment of reprieve his mind had simply refused to understand what is was seeing. _If I don't see it I can still walk away_ , his inner voice reasoned, never having sounded so much like a petulant child. But that moment was gone before it could even be savored and Sesshomaru saw what was in front of him.

When last Sesshomaru had seen Inuyasha he had been a child, now he looked to be in his late teens. Inuyasha's body was slumped over a finely carved table, towels scattered beneath him to stop his blood from contaminating the expensive rug. His breath strained and buckled in his lungs. Bruises and scratches were scattered liberally over his body, all in various stages of trying to heal, of trying to have one patch of skin that didn't burn with pain.

And five eternal wounds slanted their way across this story of torture.

A mark of possession, a sign of ownership had been branded into the hanyou's back.

Without conscious thought Sesshomaru drifted closer, until he stood over his half-brother. Able to see the shouki twisting within the brand, it poisonous colors shifting in his half-bred brother's skin. Like an oil slick on water, it was mesmerizing and sickening all at once. His gaze continued to flow over the hanyou's back until it fell on the matted and coated tail, lying limply on the towels and the scars crossing and re-crossing its base.

His tail had been ripped out.

And far too early.

 _Oh gods_.

Bile rose in Sesshomaru's throat. His half-brother's _time_ had been frozen, twisted down the wrong path. For once in his life Sesshomaru didn't know what to do. He didn't want to deal with this; he didn't want to see this. But it was like a train wreck, he simply couldn't force his eyes away, as his mind tried to come up with some other, any other, explanation than that this was all his fault.

Sesshomaru was so absorbed in finding reason, that Haku was able to get close enough to start licking at Inuyasha's face. Sesshomaru immediately opened his mouth to demand he stop but the noise got jammed in his throat and came out as an indignant squawk as he saw Inuyasha begin to rouse.

His breathing began to get harsher, as if simply waking required more oxygen then he could hope to get, hitching in pain as the return of consciousness brought back the torture. His ears swiveled back and forth before finally settling for being pinned to his head. Reluctantly, pain-dulled copper eyes drifted open.

Sesshomaru froze.

Inuyasha didn’t immediately notice him. His eyes were instead trying to focus on the muzzle not three inches from his face _. A dog? What was a dog doing here?_ Pain was still racing through his body but it felt oddly numb to it. His brain could only handle so many parts of him constantly saying that they hurt before it started to ignore the message. The only thing he really felt was how hard it seemed to be to breathe. His lungs felt mangled and his own breathing was harsh to his ears.

He just wanted to go back to sleep and wake with less pain. The rest of him agreed wholeheartedly and he could feel his eyelids weigh heavy once more when the muzzle moved forward again and a long pink tongue stretched out to cover his face in a thin sheen of drool.

“Ugh.” Inuyasha braced himself on the table and slowly sat up. His whole back screamed with the motion but he finally managed to get himself sitting up, more out of stubborn will then anything else. He slowly rubbed his eyes to rid them of sleep when he finally noticed the pair of shoes not a foot away from him. Dread coursed throughout his body as he slowly lifted his gaze; terrified that it was his father and horrified by who it really was.

“Ses—Sesshomaru!” Inuyasha tried to scramble away; wanting to hide himself and his shame away. This was the last person he wanted to see him like this. But his body failed him and the best he could do was grab a towel and cover himself. Inuyasha couldn't bring himself to look at his brother; not wanting to see the disgust on his face.

Sesshomaru's mind, in the meantime, had finally arrived at what it perceived to be the only explanation.

The hanyou had sold himself.

Sesshomaru's lip formed a sneer of disdain and his voice returned with his anger, his voice rising in accusation. “I thought you could bring no more shame to our family, Inuyasha. You are a disgrace. So inept at surviving on your own that you sold yourself to the first scum that would take you.” Inuyasha visibly flinched from his voice and to Sesshomaru it was merely a confirmation of his guilt, giving him all the more conviction to press forward until jaws closing over his hand stopped him. Sesshomaru looked down and was surprised to see Aiko with his hand lightly clasped in her teeth. She gave his hand a single shake and dropped it before making her way over to the crumbling hanyou and licking at his face.

Sesshomaru was a little stunned, Aiko had not had the gall to reprimand him since he was a pup; his mind began tripping over itself to account for this new development in his definition of the world.

“Well, well, this is a surprise. I never expected the great Inu Daiyoukai to visit my chambers.”

Sesshomaru turned round, careful to check himself and not act like the guilty teen he felt himself to be. Naraku stood in the doorway, his body blocking much of the light from the hallway; but Sesshomaru could still catch the arrogant smirk that slipped across his face, as he gave a mocking bow. “To what do I owe the honor.”

~~~~~

A/N: Thanks for all the reviews, I really appreciate them.

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha and company.

 


	4. Truth and Choices

~~Chapter Four~~

Truth and Choices

Naruku’s gaze flicked to the hanyou still frozen on the floor, before returning to meet Sesshomaru’s. “I would never have expected you to seek the pleasures of a hanyou. Your reputation would lead one to believe you cannot stand their presence, let alone their company.”

Sesshomaru kept his gaze neutral but disgust rode along his voice, “I would never be interested in such…entertainment.”

Naraku shrugged, “Pity. But if you are not,” his voice turned dangerous, “then what are you doing in my private quarters?”

Sesshomaru remained silent; he had no wish to defend his actions and could think of nothing else to say.

At his continued silence Naraku stalked into the room, the expression on his face reminding him of the cat who toyed with the mouse. Sesshomaru did not like that expression one bit. And as Naraku continued to slink he had a horrible urge to step back. His guards, however, were not as reserved and moved away from Inuyasha to surround him, keeping their gazes locked on Naraku.

Naraku finally stopped next to Inuyasha, placing himself directly behind Sesshomaru; a place Sesshomaru did not trust him to be. He took a few steps forward before turning to face him once more, his movements precise. He would not be intimidated.

Naraku had placed his hand on Inuyasha’s head, slightly stroking his silver tresses. And that’s when inspiration struck. “I am curious as to how you discovered such a…specimen.”

He saw the delighted spark in those sickening eyes and he knew his ruse had worked. “But you just protested interest in such fun.”

“But I can see the benefit of the trade.”

Naraku let out a delighted laugh, “All business I see,” while Inuyasha tried not to look up at Sesshomaru in shock. Never in all the tales he had heard about him and in the few months he himself had spent in his company had he ever heard a whisper of Sesshomaru showing anything but disgust about the trade in flesh; an enterprise he considered too beneath him. Maybe he really didn’t know his former half-brother.

“It’s actually very easy, I simply watched the orphanages.”

Cold swept Sesshomaru’s veins, “The orphanages?”

The maniacal light seemed to brighten as Naraku reveled in his own brilliance, “I simply put a watch on several orphanages and looked over the prospects when they arrived.” He shrugged, “It took a while but eventually this one came into my sights.” The hand in Inuyasha’s hair moved down to wrap loosely around the back of his neck; the grin on Naraku’s face - self-congratulatory.

Sesshomaru, however was feeling less and less pleased with himself; in fact, his feelings were taking on a distinct flavor of guilt. His gaze fell once more on Inuyasha, who was trying very hard to go unnoticed, but since he was the current subject he wasn’t being very successful. His gaze remained fixed on the floor in front of him, his ears still pinned to his head, his shoulders hunched and he hadn’t moved at all since Naraku had entered the room.

“If you wish to set up a trade in such goods, perhaps a partnership could be arranged.”

Sesshomaru immediately sneered at such an idea, but merely said “Perhaps.”

Again that indifferent shrug, “Very well; maybe I should pursue it on my own.” He looked down at Inuyasha, “An interesting prospect, isn’t it Inuyasha.”

Inuyasha responded immediately, but his voice was soft with pain and horror, “Hai, Otou-san.”

Sesshomaru's world lurched. The truth smacking him in the face.

Oh gods.

He needed to leave. Now.

He tried to comfort himself with the fact that Naraku knew nothing about Inuyasha’s origins; for that sadistic bastard would have certainly used it in this meeting, but it was little consolation. 

Sesshomaru didn’t bother with formalities; he simply turned and left the room. Aiko and Haku hesitating a moment before following after him. He didn’t have to look down to imagine the disapproving gazes they were both sporting. They certainly didn’t agree with leaving one who they, in all likelihood, still considered a charge. But he didn’t care, Inuyasha was not his responsibility and his current fate didn’t change that. He was not the one who’d slept with a human whore and impregnated her with that bastard hanyou. It didn’t matter that death had been the only thing to stop his father from fulfilling his duties. It was still his father, and not him who had failed.

And if he kept telling himself that he might even believe it one day.

~~~~~

Inuyasha lifted his head slightly to catch a final glimpse of Sesshomaru’s retreating back, a final swish of the guardians’ tails and they were gone. Naraku’s touch lingered on his nape for a moment before he stalked once more to the door. He gave a final glance back at Inuyasha still seated on the floor.

“Do not forget that I’ll be back in a few days, you should be ready for me.” He smiled, wholly predatorily “Then we shall have some fun.”

With that parting shot he was gone, returned to his party; leaving the hanyou with a single choice pounding through his brain.

Inuyasha remained where he was, long after the last sounds of Naraku’s departure faded away; letting that choice bounce between his ears, trying to view it from every angle.

He slowly came back to himself, still without an answer. But as he looked around the room, a room that had been replicated so many times, in so many places; he suddenly felt as if he was drowning, drowning in memories and horrors that played like some demented home video behind his eyes, overlaying every surface. A shudder ran through his frame and he let his chin drop to his chest, squeezing his eyes shut before bringing his hands up, pressing them against his eyelids until sparks played in the darkness.

He let out a shuddering breath - he would not cry - before slowly bringing his hands down from his face once more. He had to leave, no matter what the price, in any coin, be it gold or blood, he had to leave. The decision swept through him brushing away any lingering doubts; they would not help him now.

Inuyasha took another steadying breath; he needed to figure out a plan. His head felt fuzzy, every pulse pounding in his skull. So he stayed where he was, trying to give his body a bit more time to heal before he had to move again and maybe his damn brain would start working then too. He heard the sounds of the party die down; his father must having left straight from it for his business trip. And when a servant came in soon after to deliver food he feigned unconsciousness until she left.

It was time to act.

He began to climb to his feet, when the oddest sensation shot through his back. Pain he could ignore but this wasn’t pain; it was like someone had grabbed his lower back and tugged. He sat back down in order to twist around, the rest of his back protesting, and look at the sticky, distorted mess behind him. It took a bit of staring to figure out that it was a tail; his tail. Admittedly looking rather pathetic and the worse for wear but still there. Inuyasha now knew where the pain that had finally made him pass out had come from.

It occurred to Inuyasha that this was probably his mark of adulthood. Had Naruku been so desperate to see it he’d ripped it out early? Bile climbed up his throat and he leaned over and heaved. Gods, how many fetishes could one person have? His throat burned from the vomit, his back aching with every heartbeat. And he kept seeing Sesshomaru, the disgust plain on his face. A new pain burned through him, his whole body clenching with it. Well you know what?

Fuck him.

Fuck him. Fuck Naraku. Fuck every goddamn person who looked down on him.

The anger swept through him, his fist clenching so hard with it he pierced his own palm. But it felt so much better than the pain. He wrapped himself with it, taking a few deep breaths so that, like a whiskey shot, it settled into a slow burn low in his gut. Then got back to the task at hand.

He slowly pried the tail away from the towel, slicing hairs here and there with his claws, till finally he no longer had terry cloth trailing after him.

He stumbled to his feet and, step by tottering step, made his way over to the bathroom, dragging a towel off the racks and climbing into the shower. He let the water run down his back, but not pound on it; instead using a cloth on his back and tail. He didn’t dawdle in the shower, much as he wanted to, but finished as fast as possible. Just being clean already made him feel better, the dried blood no longer pulling at his skin.

Moving a bit easier now, he went back to the closet, snatched up a pair of jeans and deciding against putting a hole in them, pulled them on, tucking his tail inside them carefully, as it was still tender. He also grabbed a t-shirt and his haori; putting the haori on over the shirt, before completing the odd look with a raincoat. Inuyasha shuffled back to the bathroom door, locking it on the inside then pulling it shut with a snap; his habit of secluding himself in the bathroom when his father was away would serve to delay the start of a search. He then left the closet once more, snatching up a spare sheet on his way out and proceeding to rip it in half, folding one half inside the other, which he tied into an impromptu bag before going over to his, now cold, dinner.

He put the meat, potatoes and bread into his makeshift sack, not bothering himself about stains and topped it off by downing the soup in a few large gulps. Inuyasha then made his way over to the shoji screens that blocked the entrance to the stairs, shoving them aside; before giving the room one final look.

Nothing looked out of place, the blood stained towels - the only testament to what had gone on in this room, would be cleaned up by a servant soon enough. And the last bit of his presence here would be washed away. 

With no further thought he pushed himself past the threshold and shut the door behind him.

~~~~~

Sesshomaru paced around his study; the two guardians watching his progress back and forth across the room, both wearing identical looks of disapproval.

What was he supposed to do? Even if he wanted to take Inuyasha from Naraku, which he didn’t, he couldn’t just demand the boy’s removal. He was legally adopted, wasn’t he? That thought made him pause. Perhaps he’d been kidnapped?

Sesshomaru snorted, disgusted with his attempt at deluding himself. No, someone like Naraku would have had no problem getting their hands on an orphaned hanyou the legal way. Sesshomaru forced himself to stop pacing, he should be in more control of himself than this.

But he could push this aside as he had done nearly a century ago, when he had let the hanyou get carted away. And it was not only his conscience that would bother him. Aiko and Haku had barely forgiven him the last time.

And now…well. He was surprised they were even being this patient. If he did not act - they would. And under direct order

There was no help for it. He needed to speak with the miko.

~~~~~

The hewn rock surface was rough under his fingers as he slowly made his way up the darkened staircase. The scent of the outdoors was getting stronger as he went until he finally came to a large oaken door, the Nippon style shoji screens abandoned in favour of more insulating wood.

He turned the handle, finding it to be miraculously unlocked, before stepping out onto the open balcony. It was set in what appeared to have once been a small cave, its mouth framing the view.

He stepped to the banister lined edge, looking for way out. A biting wind whipped through the cave causing him to shiver slightly, his wounds prickling in discomfort, until he mastered himself.

He finally spotted a tree rooted where the banister met the mountain. Making his way to it he climbed gingerly up and over the banister, wrapping his hands around the small, but stable trunk, before looking around. The ground was fairly steep but below him more trees clustered and he could probably lower himself from trunk to trunk.

Slowly, he reached out to the next tree, stumbling slightly and feeling the heart stopping sensation of freefall; before his hand wrapped around the new tree and he jerked himself to a stop, his back shreiking at him over his clumsiness.

He continued down along the mountainside, until about a hundred meters below the balcony, he finally came to a small breadth of even land; apparently the working of the forest dwellers, for it snaked into a narrow path that disappeared around the mountain.

He sighed in relief. This would make things a lot easier. Once he followed this to the western side of the mountain, he would be in familiar territory and much better off then if he’d had to descend to the bottom. He picked his way along the path, trying not to use his arms too much so the marks wouldn’t sting.

And from one instant to the next he was there.

Inuyasha stopped and looked around. The forest looked no different here then from where he’d come, but he felt it. It was incomparable to what was, but five feet behind him.

This was home.

He shivvered. It was a bittersweet moment when Inuyasha felt the forest open to him, whispering its many secrets, enticing him to run along its hidden paths. He let that feeling envelop him; snake up his spine and sooth his nerves. He wanted to whoop with joy, but suspected his body would be less then grateful; so instead settled for a small, quiet smile, before hitching his pack a little higher and continuing on.

The wind on this side seemed calmer as well, a gentle breeze rather than the approaching gale of the other. And when he looked back from where he’d come he saw his own trail was being quietly wiped away. Like trying to watch a flower bloom, it was slow and subtle, but he could see where already all traces of him having been, were gone. Inuyasha’s smile widened a little. He’d be alright; he could do this.

He resumed his trek once more, using landmarks to situate himself within his mental map. He was on the eastern most borders of his ancestors’ lands. If he headed directly west he would be able to find plenty of shelter and food; all he would need to be careful of was avoiding the personal grounds of both the temple and Sesshomaru’s home. From there it would be clear sailing to the western border, putting a good distance and no clues between him and his father.

The trail he was on began to slope down into the valley and he stuck to it, remembering the boulder made shelter that was nestled on the valley floor. It would be a good place to rest. He was already panting and he was sweating like a freakin pig. Bringing his hand across his brow, he noticed how clammy he seemed to feel.

I guess I’m not doing as well as I thought. But he stubbornly trudged on, until, finally, the tree guarded boulders came into view. It was exactly how he remembered it. He collapsed next to the entrance, taking off his small pack and shoving it through the entrance before following in after it. He unwrapped the food, but set it aside in a crevice that he cleared of leaves, wanting to be sparse with his supplies in case it took him longer then expected to find other food. He then unfolded the other sheet and wrapped both around himself. He tried sitting against the wall to rest, but the scream of his injuries killed that idea, so instead he settled down in the generous layer of leaves, grateful for the warmth stored there and let a dreamless sleep envelop him.

~~~~~

A/N: I want to thank Dracavia, my beta, for aiding in my obsession with grammatical perfection. Once again thank you for your reviews and yep Snowfall its Baaacckk! Sorry to disappoint Arbutus1226 but Inuyasha isn't waiting around to be rescued.

 

Disclaimer - I don't own Inuyasha and company.


	5. Saving Graces

~~Chapter Five~~

Saving Graces

Inuyasha awoke just as the sun’s rays managed to venture into the valley. It was still quite dark in his small refuge and he considered staying right where he was for a few more hours. His wounds seemed to be healing much slower then normal and he was quite comfortable. The leaves and his own layers were keeping him warm, and not moving definitely beat out moving when it came to his back. He settled his head once more on his arms and just as the world became pleasantly fuzzy he heard a light thump scant feet from his haven followed by the voice of a women. 

“Hello. Is somebody there?”

Inuyasha remained still.

There was an exasperated sigh, “Alright, I already know you’re there.”

Inuyasha stayed quiet, hoping they would get bored and fuck off. He knew there were at least two of them out there, a youkai and a human, and at the moment he wasn’t in much shape for a fight. And if it did come to a fight he was much better off guarding a tiny entrance then trying to do open battle.

“Right then, in five seconds I’m gonna move one of those boulders and you better not be naked.”

Fuck! She’d definitely have him then, “Alright! Alright! Dammit bitch, give me a minute.” Well at least the night’s rest had had nurtured one thing - his temper. Before Sesshomaru had shown up he’d almost thought he’d lost it forever. 

He quickly scrambled for his supplies, shoving everything back into his makeshift sack; his back shrieking at him for his haste, but it would do no good to be caught in here by an unknown, particularly cornered and exposed if one of the boulders was moved. He shoved the pack out ahead of him before taking more care as he climbed out after it, his body still bitching at him for jerking it around. Once out he looked towards where the voice had come from and just as he stood up the two came round the edge of the boulder.

Inuyasha immediately backed up several paces, trying to put some distance between them, wobbling a bit but managing to stay on his feet. The two figures blurred slightly form two to four for a second before going back to a proper pair. Inuyasha saw that the woman, scratch that, girl appeared to be barely older then he was, maybe 18 or so; dressed in a well-worn sweater over loose jeans, looking like a typical hiker, except of course for the strung longbow in her hand and the quiver full of arrows at her back. Both of which fairly buzzed with the amount of miko power this girl was packing. Yeah, that was bad enough but more trouble came winding its way alongside the girl in the form of a large nekomata.

Fuckin’ perfect.

Meanwhile, Inuyasha’s body was still on protest against him. Another wave of exhaustion swamped him causing the pair to triple this time before it settled back down. He tried shaking his head to clear it, but promptly stopped as everything went sideways. He lurched to the left to stop himself from falling but had to jerk back when everything was suddenly right side up and he was the one tipping. He focused on the hiker again; annoyed that merely staying upright was causing him to pant.

“Are you okay?”

Inuyasha noticed she had managed to close some of the distance; he backed up again, “Yeah, I’m peachy, why?

“Really?” she said, disbelief clear, “Cause it looks to me like you’re about to fall over.”

Inuyasha stood up a little straighter, wincing again from the marks, “Well, you can’t always trust what your weak ass human eyes tell you.” She raised a disbelieving eyebrow at that, but Inuyasha was done with the idle chatter. He was wasting time and energy. “Look, I need to get movin’ so nice meetin’ you or whatever.” He turned and started to head towards the path that cut through the valley, but the damn cat jumped in the way.

“Oh, I can’t let you just leave. You’re on private lands.”

Inuyasha growled, pivoting back around to face her. He fucking knew that, he just didn’t want to meet the damn owner. And speaking of what was a human, who wasn't Kaede, doing on Sesshomaru's lands? He'd have thought the prick would have chewed glass before he'd let a new miko take over the temple.

“Look I just want to get to the other side, then I’m gone. Okay?”

She ignored him, “My name’s Kagome; what’s yours?”

“None of your damn business.” What the hell was wrong with this girl?

“Well, we’re certainly not going to get anywhere with that attitude. What happened to you?”

Gods, she changed gears fast. “I got in a fight.”

Again the skeptical eyebrow, “Really?”

“Yeah,” and in a moment of bravado, “the other guy’s worse.”

“You were beaten.” It wasn’t a question.

Inuyasha flushed in embarrassment, his head jerking up. “What the fuck, I just told you I was in a fight,” he shouted

Her eyes were narrowed now, going over every inch of him. It made him want to fidget, but he settled for simply not looking at her. How had she known?! He didn’t want anyone else to ever know what had happened before. He shuddered. Well at least she didn’t know about the other stuff.

His gaze riveted back to her again when, out of nowhere, he felt a pulse of power from her. It was there and gone in a flash but it wasn’t miko or youkai; it was just power. Was she about to attack? Inuyasha crouched down and stared hard at her waiting for it to happen again.

There was a tense silence and then the girl’s expression was suddenly relaxed, “I’ll make you a deal. If you come with us to our shrine and rest up for a couple of days I’ll let you pass through these lands.”

“I don’t need your damn charity and why the hell would you want to give me a place to stay?” Inuyasha wasn’t helpless. He didn’t need any help, dammit.

She shrugged, “Well at the shrine I look after several hanyou orphans so it wouldn’t be much trouble to put you up for a few nights,” she replied calmly.

Inuyasha’s ears went flat and he bared his fangs, “No way am I goin’ to a fuck’in orphanage!” he shouted. Going to an orphanage is what landed him in this mess in the first place. No chance in hell!

She looked surprised and affronted for a moment and he even heard a growl from the youkai behind him, but then a look of understanding dawned on her face. “It isn’t a government institution, you know.”

Inuyasha thought back to the ‘business’ his father has propositioned to Sesshomaru. Sesshomaru had said he wasn’t interested in going into business with Naraku. Did that mean he had already started something on his own? “I don’t fucking care who runs it, there’s no way I’m going.” He barked, crouching down further and bringing his claws out in front of him. “Now get out of the fucking way!”

Kagome raised her hands in a placating gesture, alarm showing clearly on her face, “Wait you don’t understand,” she said hurriedly. “The reason we mainly house hanyou children is because of how they are treated at other orphanages. Kaede-sama wanted to give them a safe home.”

Inuyasha was so surprised that he dropped his hands and stood straighter, curiosity overriding suspicion, “How do you know Kaede-obachan?” She must have been gone for over fifty years before this girl came along.

Kagome shrugged, “She was the one who turned the shrine into a home for hanyou. From what I’ve gathered she did it because she felt she had failed someone she cared about.” Kagome paused, “And we’re not concerned with finding new homes for them either,” she clarified, her voice taking on a reassuring quality, “I mean it’s great if they do, but as far as we’re concerned they’ve already found one when they arrive at our doorstep.” 

Inuyasha didn’t know what to think. If it was true that Kaede-obachan had been the founder of the orphanage then this shrine probably had nothing to do with Sesshomaru. He had always avoided the place whenever he’d been on these lands and Inuyasha had a suspicion the only reason the place was still standing was because of tradition. It might not be such a bad place to rest up after all, if Sesshomaru still avoided the place.

And Kaede-obachan had remembered him, had tried to save him. He hadn’t been forgotten, but his father had gotten to him first. White hot anger suddenly flared at that thought. No! He wasn’t his fucking father! He was his goddamn rapist! It was true that Naraku had been Inuyasha’s caretaker for a while, but after that night he had become his monster. The rage was so sudden and overwhelming that his fists clenched together in an effort to squelch it, piercing his palms with his own claws. Maybe he had deserved what had happened to him, but Kaede-obachan had tried to change it, so for her he would hold onto his anger. He would not let it melt away or feed it to the despair as he had done the last twenty years. He would use it to keep going.

And he would fucking survive.

Well, what the hell has got his panties in a twist, Kagome wondered. He had gone all rigid at the mention of Kaede-sama, so could it have something to do with her; but why on earth would this hanyou hate her? This hanyou who still hadn’t given her his damn name.

“Look,” she said, putting her hands on her hips, “We can stand here all day and have what I’m sure would be a fascinating study of history or we can head back to the shrine and get some food. Oh and your name wouldn’t be amiss now either,” she added

Inuyasha’s attention snapped back to Kagome, glaring at her for a moment before crossing his arms, looking positively mulish. “Call me whatever the hell you want, I still won’t go with you.”

Again with the damned eyebrow, it reminded Inuyasha of Sesshomaru. Did she know him? “You think you can take both of us on?”

“A puny human and a trumped up housecat. Heh, easy.” He yelled out in surprised pain as the neko youkai suddenly dashed forward and butted its head into his back, causing him to come crashing down, face first into the dirt. Inuyasha yelled out as the pain raced along his spine, curling in against it. Dammit an attack like that shouldn’t have taken him down so easily. Inuyasha took a calming breath and raised himself back up only to come face to face with the miko’s weapon.

“Still think you could take us?” she asked.

He growled in embarrassed anger, his face flushing once more, “Well,” he demanded, “where does this get us?”

Kagome let out an exasperated noise and lowered her weapon. “I’ve had enough of this. Look we can’t leave you here to wander around these lands, so you’re going to have to come with us one way or another.” She looked around as if searching for the answer, before looking to him once more, “I give you my word that nothing bad will happen to you while you’re in our care and you’ll be free to go your own way in a few days.”

He gave a harsh laugh, “What the hell good does that do, I don’t even freakin’ know you.”

Kagome sighed, “True enough,” she agreed. “So what would be good enough?”

Inuyasha regarded her skeptically, “You saying that I could demand anything and you’d try for it?”

“Well, I’d try for it. Yes.”

"And the youkai who owns these lands, he a frequent guest of yours as well?"

"Sesshomaru. No, not particularly. Why?" Did he know Sesshomaru? Should she call Sesshomaru once they were settled in the shrine? She hadn't lied - Sesshomaru very rarely came to the shrine, but Kagome herself spoke with him often and was a regular visitor to his estate.

But he ignored her question, looking her and Kirara up and down once more, before letting out a tired sigh and climbing to his feet. “Alright, I’ll go along with you.”

She blinked, “That’s it?” she demanded incredulous, stomping her foot in indignation.

“Yeah, you were actually honest.” He stared down at the ground for a moment before suddenly looking up and staring her straight in the eye. Kagome’s breath stopped in her throat. “That’s gotta be worth something, right?” At that Kagome’s face broke into a truly beautiful smile.

“You really are quite something.” She moved forward and extended her hand. Inuyasha simply stared at it; he didn’t want to touch anybody. He felt that they would know everything he’d done just by touching him or maybe that he’d somehow get them dirty, so instead he offered an awkward bow, but she didn’t miss the wince as he did so. Kagome returned the gesture, “Let’s try again, my name is Higurashi Kagome; miko and caretaker of the Anzen no Chi shrine.”

“And it’s still none of you damn business,” he replied, stone faced.

Kagome scowled for a moment before breaking into laughter. “Asagi’ll like you. If she doesn’t kill you first,” she amended. The neko youkai moved to her side, “Oh and by the way this is Kirara, guardian of the shrine.” Kirara gave a small bow of her head that Inuyasha returned.

Inuyasha’s muscles were now shrieking and the energy from his anger, which had been keeping him going up until now, was quickly being replaced by exhaustion. Kirara sidled up to him but he didn’t want to be anywhere near her either and Inuyasha automatically backed away from the offered help. “So where’s this damn shrine anyway?”

Kagome pointed to the next valley over, “Just on the other side of that mountain. Kirara can fly us there in no time.” Kagome came round to Kirara’s other side, “Can you manage?”

Inuyasha gave her a filthy look but didn’t get on. He doesn’t want to be touched, she realized. “It’ll get us there a lot faster,” Kagome explained climbing onto Kirara herself but Inuyasha continued to simply look at her. “Seriously, I’m tired and we already know that I can’t leave you here to make your own way, so hop on and let’s go.” She patted the spot behind her and he backed up a pace.

Kagome watched him a minute more and when all he did was sway there, she gave a sigh before hoping off on Inuyasha’s side. He stumbled back another step, but she didn’t try to approach him. Instead she moved off to his left and to Inuyasha’s total surprise she said, “You’re right, Kirara is too tired to carry two people.” Kagome ignored the indignant scowl Kirara was sporting, “It’s better if you go first and then Kirara can come back and collect me. That way we both get there and I know where you are.” Kagome knew, however little she had known him, that this boy’s pride in himself was nearing its end and if all she had to do was wait a couple minutes while Kirara made two trips to give it a much needed boost then that was fine.

Inuyasha remained still a moment more before giving a reluctant nod and cautiously approaching Kirara, skirting around Kagome; while Kagome pulled out a small notebook from her supplies. She quickly jotted down a note to Asagi, instructing her to make Inuyasha comfortable in one of the guest quarters, till she got there. Inuyasha was already astride Kirara, by the time she was done.

“Just ask for Asagi when you get there,” Kagome said as she ripped the note out, handing it to Inuyasha. He gave her a quick nod before burying his fingers in Kirara’s thick mane. The next second they were both air born with Kagome waving from the ground.

As they made their way to the central valley Inuyasha was eternally grateful that Sesshomaru hated that old shrine. He could rest and be gone without Sesshomaru ever knowing he’d been there. 

~~~~~

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha and the little man in my finger says I never will.

A/N: Just for those who are wondering, yes Inuaysha personality has taken a sharp turn but this is how I picture Inuyasha dealing with such a situation; though a victim’s reactions differ quite a lot in these situations, anger is a common response. Also many get into the mentatlity of living in the now with little planning for the future. Inuyasha does some planning so he’s is not an example of an extreme case. His return to his own lands and his encounter with Kagome (and the details surrounding that meeting which shall be revealed later) are both catalysts for his bad manners as well. His emotional responses are gonna be chaotic for a while.

Dracavia: Lots of love, you have done a fantabulous job yet again as my beta. Woohoo.


	6. Life Changing Chances

**_~~Chapter Six~~_ **

**_Life Changing Chances_ **

Kagome quietly closed the shogi behind herself as she exited the room where the young hanyou was finally sleeping.

“So he is resting,” Asagi asked, handing Kagome a cup of strong tea.

Kagome cradled the cup in her hands and nodded. “I had to threaten him with a sleep sutra before he finally settled but he’s asleep now.” She smiled then, “He has such a strong spirit, even after all he’s been through,” but the smile quickly faded, her eyes growing distant, “He will need it for what’s to come.”

Asagi looked at her questioningly but Kagome merely shook her head. Asagi decided not to press the matter. “The dog is coming here to speak with you,” she informed Kagome flatly.

Kagome frowned at her, “Can’t you two ever get along.”

“No.”

Kagome sighed, “I’ll go and speak with Sesshomaru in the front room. Can you please watch over our guest? I want him to get as much rest as possible, so make sure the others keep it down.”

Asagi agreed but before Kagome could go, asked what had happened to the other hanyou.

Kagome shook her head, “I have my suspicions but it isn’t my story to tell.”

Asagi nodded her understanding, setting her teal ponytail swayiny before she  moved to enter the room, “And Asagi,” Kagome said, stopping her with a hand on her shoulder when they drew level, “don’t ask him about it either.” Asagi nodded again; then opened the shogi once more and quietly entering the dim quarters.

Kagome let out a breath, her shoulders slumping forward, some of the tension going with it. She took a few calming breaths, settling her frazzled aura and took a slow sip of her cooling tea. She knew she would need her calm for this new trial that she had invited into her home. From her brief encounter with the hanyou Kagome was already beginning to dread finding out his whole story. She took another sip of her tea then put it on one of the hall tables, hopefully to get back to it before it was too cold, before she went to meet Sesshomaru.

~~~~~

Sesshomaru resisted the urge to pace about in the small room, feeling just as restless as he had the night before. Time had not eased the gnawing feeling in his gut and the miko seemed to be taking an obscene amount of time. What could possibly be so all consuming; he was their landlord for pity’s sake!

It took another nerve-grating minute before the miko finally arrived.

“Hello Sesshomaru,” Kagome gave him a small bow as she entered the room, which he returned with a curt nod. “I am sorry for keeping you waiting but something came up that I had to take care of.” She shrugged, “I can’t stay long because of it so you’ll have to forgive me, but anyway, what did you wish to speak to me about?”

Sesshomaru nodded offhandedly at her apology, opening his mouth to cut straight to his point, as he was not one to mince words, when the last smell he’d ever expected popped back onto his radar. No…it couldn’t be. He stopped, concentrating and realized it was coming straight from the miko. His eyes immediately narrowed in suspision; it couldn’t, it shouldn’t be possible, but in his experience, this miko had the annoying habit of pulling off the impossible.

“What, exactly, was the nature of this emergency?” Sesshomaru asked, pleased that his voice remained flat.

Again, Kagome shrugged, “A trespasser, that’s all, nothing Kirara and I couldn’t handle.” Sesshomaru’s anger hiked up again.

“And I was not informed,” Sesshomaru demanded, his voice no longer calm.

“They fall under my jurisdiction, so you don’t need to worry about it,” Kagome replied waving it away.

“So then it is a hanyou.” He stepped forward, trying to loom over her.

Looming never did work with her. She gave him a look, “Well yes,” she said, putting her hands on her hips, apparently affronted by Sesshomaru’s increasingly aggressive tone. “What in the world is wrong with you today?”

Sesshomaru completely ignored Kagome, walking swiftly past her and heading the way she had come. “Hey,” she cried, quickly running to catch up with him, “Where the hell do you think you’re going?!”

“To confirm who this trespasser is,” he barked back.

How? How in the name of all the gods? Sesshomaru couldn’t believe it. How had that blasted half-breed managed to get here? And though it solved one of his dilemmas it caused a great many more. Damn hanyou, he never caused anything but trouble. His vague concern about what to do with the boy living on his border had been sharpened into an immediate pain in his ass.

Kagome continued after him and only just managed to stop him as they reached the boy’s room. “What the hell is the matter with you?” she demanded in a low hiss; trying to turn him away from the room.

Again he ignored her, “Move aside, Miko.”

Kagome looked at him, surprised, “Do you know who he is, Sesshomaru?” she asked.

“I have some very strong suspicions,” he replied curtly, not bothering with keeping his voice low.

“So who is he?”

Sesshomaru remained silent for a moment, weighing his options, but he couldn’t see what could be gained from not telling her this. And it would probably get him in that room faster. “His name is Inuyasha.”

Kagome blinked at him, “Inuyasha?” Then her eyes widened in surprise, “Wait…Is he the one that Kaede-sama told me about…th..the one she couldn’t help?” she asked, disbelieving.

“I never bothered to inquire about the reasons behind that woman’s ridiculous crusade for the hanyou,” he snapped, easily sidestepping her and pushing the door open with a snap; only to find the irritating one in his path.

Asagi scowled at him, making sure to completely block his way, green eyes flashing with her anger. “What in all the bloody hells do you thing you’re doing?!” she yelled.

Sesshomaru merely glared back while Kagome made urgent shushing noises behind him, “Will you two keep it down; he is trying to sleep.”

Sesshomaru glanced at her, “I wish to speak with ...”

“Well you can’t,” Asagi cut in, “He needs his rest and you’ve already woken him up as it is,” her voice holding a particularly annoying note of finality. Sesshomaru scowled at her but decided to ignore her brass ass attitude for the moment in favor of turning his attention to the room beyond. He couldn’t see much beyond the doorway but the scent from inside was reading loud and clear.

It was definitely Inuyasha.

And it seemed like he was little better then he had been before. The sickening scent of shouki continued to permeate the smell of his blood and Sesshomaru could still hear his loud irregular breathing. He was still in need of medical attention so how in the world had he gotten away? How had he managed to escape when he was in such condition? Was this merely a ploy to garner sympathy?

“What do you intend to do with him?” Sesshomaru asked, turning once again to the miko.

The women looked at him, clearly both confused before Kagome answered him, “I promised that as long as he rested up here a few days, he could be on his way.”

Sesshomaru looked at her disbelievingly, “You would let him go in such a condition.”

He could see the annoying hanyou’s expression of incredulity at his words, but the miko’s expression of downright suspicion would turn out to be the most troublesome. “Why this sudden concern for his welfare Sesshomaru, and how in the world could you know what his condition is like?”

The tension in the air was becoming palpable with Kagome’s increasingly darkening demeanor. Again it was a matter of time wasting as far as Sesshomaru was concerned, she could rant and rave for hours on end, so the quickest way to bypass the chatter would be to answer her. Besides, discussing what to do with Inuyasha had been what had brought him here in the first place. And the reason she was his confidant was because she would, no matter what, keep his silence. And, though he would never admit it; she would at times give him new insight or ideas for certain problems - her long life helping to ebb some of her natural human stupidity. But to start off, he needed to know what she already knew. “What do you know about him?”

She glowered at him a bit more before reluctantly admitting that she knew virtually nothing. As Sesshomaru began to answer, the irritating one closed the door to the room, either to give them privacy for their talk or to try and tend to Inuyasha. “I discovered him at Naraku’s, yesterday.”

Kagome sucked in a sharp breath, her eyes going wide. “Dear god. How the hell did that sick bastard get a hold of him?”

Sesshomaru felt some unfamiliar emotion spear through him that in anyone else might have been called guilt. But as he’d done nothing wrong; he had no reason to feel guilty.

He looked briefly off to the side as he squashed that unwelcome and distinctly unpleasant feeling before turning back to her. “I believe Naraku adopted him. Parts of their conversation led me to that conclusion anyway.”

“But...but, how do you know about him at all? It kinda sounds like…” she trailed off, her eyes going wide, as two plus two finally added to four. It just couldn’t be.  

“We had the same father,” was his only answer.

“Oh, Sesshomaru,” pure and unequivocal disappointment lining every syllable, “How could you do this to your own brother?” A small part of Sesshomaru; a very, very small part of him felt that disappointment strike at him and that made him angry. This blasted miko had no idea what an annoying, irritating little punk Inuyasha could be and she, a human, presumed to judge this Sesshomaru.

And now he was annoyed, “I didn’t do this to him,” he snapped. “When my father passed away I decided that it would be best if he was adopted by a more appropriate family.”

Kagome’s disappointment changed to anger faster then a set of traffic lights, “Best...BEST!! How could you possibly think that sending a young hanyou into that horrific system could have been for the best?!” Grief started to creep into her features, muddling the anger in her face, “How long?” she demanded, “how long has he been at the mercy of that monster?” Her arm sweeping out in the direction of the threat perched on their border.

Sesshomaru answered her with a question of his own, “How long has this sanctuary for the hanyou been here?”

Kagome’s eyebrows disappeared into her bangs, as she could only gape at him before spluttering out, “A...a hundred years! Bu...but what happened?” For all his pomp and bluster against the hanyou, Kagome had never really thought it had been much more than that; a socially trained surface reaction, always believing his ingrained sense of honor would keep it in check. She had never expected it to be anything like this.

Again Sesshomaru felt that unknown feeling swell within him, “When Inuyasha went into the system, the miko before you approached me and asked to change this shrine into a foster house for hanyou. I agreed but only under the current provisions that are now in place. And with the stipulation that if Inuyasha were to return he never set foot in the estate house.” He paused thinking carefully on his next words. “When Inuyasha did not return I assumed that when she had gone for him he had already been placed in some suitable care.” He looked away from her, towards the wall where he was sure Inuyasha lay on the other side. “Now I doubt that was the case.”

Sesshomaru turned back to the miko, whose face was carefully blank, a bad sign. “That was a stupid assumption.” Yes, indeed, a very bad sign. The miko was lucky she was who she was; anyone else would have been headless by now. As it was the head was still on her shoulders and gearing up for what looked to be an almighty squall. “So what do you indend to do now?”

An eyebrow went up at that as though it should be obvious, “He will remain here of course.”

And that had finally done it. “What?! Why you arrogant, pompous, self serving, supercilious bastard! You just want to handle him like…like he’s some unwanted problem or something, like...”

But he cut across her. “He IS an unwanted problem.”

Kagome was so angry that words, for a moment, seemed to fail her; her miko powers sending out the occasional spark in the air as her fists shook at her sides in an effort not strike out at the youkai in front of her, “And in a few days, when he wants to leave, what should I do then?!”

“Stop him of course.” Again as though it should be perfectly obvious.

"I'm not about to keep him prisoner here," was Kagome's indignant retort.

"Surely a miko of the calibur required to be the keeper of the Shikon-no-tama can handle one young hanyou," Sesshomaru responded condescendingly,

"That’s not the bloody point! This is a haven, not a holding cell," she shrieked, her voice going a little hoarse.

Sesshomaru stood there a minute, staring at the miko who was nearly apoplectic with rage. They were getting nowhere with this incessant banter, back and forth. But to hope to make any progress he first had to admit to himself and thus to her, what the problem was. Truth be told he hadn’t even considered what in the name of all gods he was going to do with the hanyou if he had decided to retrieve Inuyasha. Hell, he hadn’t even come up with a plan for getting the mutt out of there. That’s why he had been coming here in the first place. Only to arrive and discover that the point was entirely moot and a completely different disaster had been dragged to his doorstep. He sighed.

 “I don’t know what do with him.”

And just like that her anger dwindled away to linger with consternation and a bit of exasperation. She folded her arms across her chest, staring off at some random point before she spoke again in much softer tones, “He should stay here at least a few more days to receive medical care. And then we’ll talk with him about his future options.” She looked up at him again, “But Sesshomaru I really think you should at least offer him a chance to stay with you, even if he doesn’t take it.”

There was a long silence before Sesshomaru reluctantly agreed to take it under advisement.  

Kagome nodded, then sighed, “I really thought all your hanyou hating was all fluff and bluster, ya know.” Again he could hear the disappointment, but also what seemed oddly like a sense of loss. It made Sesshomaru wish he had never found out what had happened to Inuyasha all the more. Then he wouldn’t be in the awkward position he was in now.

“I never lied about how I felt about them,” he replied coolly.

“No I suppose you didn’t.” She let out a breath of exhaustion, “I should probably go in and see how he’s doing. Is there anything you know about him that could help me?”

Memory flashed before his eyes, as that sickening smell came back to him; causing his stomach to churn in remembered disgust. “Yes, he has received a Youkai Branding.”

Kagome gasped, hands flying to her mouth, “When?”

“The night before last, I believe.”

Kagome looked towards the room, as if she could actually see Inuyasha through the walls; actually see the open wounds on his back. “So why isn’t that bastard knocking down our door?” Kagome asked, hands clenching and unclenching at her sides in an effort to control her fragile temper.

“As far as I know he will be away for a few days on some business trip and he probably believed Inuyasha would be in no condition to move for several days as it was.”

Kagome’s lips quirked to a grim smile, “He’s a lot tougher then Naraku thought.”

_Perhaps he was not the only one_.

~~~~~

A/N: First off I would once again like to thank my beautiful beta Dracavia for helping get this chapter out and making me more comfortable with it. Second I sincerely apologize for the abhorrent lateness of this chapter from what I promised. The aforementioned deadline was totally within my reach, when it came around all I had to do was insert a paragraph and have dracavia beta it and I simply didn’t. I let school completely suck up all my effort and became an absolute sloth about everything else.

Third many of you have mentioned confusion about the timeline of this story so I’m gonna clear a few things up. First off Inuyasha  does indeed look the same age as Kagome, essentially he was done growing height wise but those subtle changes into full adulthood hasn’t happened. Essentially he looks the same as he does in the anime maybe a touch older.

**Very important:** No matter what character I’m talking about the age they appear to be in no way means how many years they’ve lived. So if you think my timeline is off, trust me, I have the whole thing written down and will eventually tell you everyone’s actual age. Inuyasha for example is around 160 years old. I’m doing what Rumiko Takehashi did in her interview where anyone with youkai blood she merely told us what age they appeared to be and has never told us anywhere what ages any of them actually are (the movies aren’t her official position), so essentially its up to the writer’s discretion. Though several times she has said that youkai live thousands of years. And Sesshomaru has to be over 65 because Inuyasha recognized him right away. I’m also fairly confident that Inuyasha ages different then humans because Rumiko wont’ say his actual age. But I’m extending the mystery to every character so assume nothing and eventually I’ll tell you what’s going on. That’s all I’m revealing for now.

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha and the little man in my finger says I never will.

 


	7. Flight

**~~Chapter Seven~~**

**Flight**

“Inuyasha, you need to get some sleep.” Kagome tried once again to get him to lie back down, at the same time fluffing the pillow under his chest.  

“Like Hell! You said you’d let me go if I came here. And now _he_ knows I’m here.”

Kagome gave up on the pillows, crossing her arms, she drawled. “No, what I said was you can go once you get a few days rest.”

“Yeah, well, you’re breakin' that promise too!” he barked back as he rested for a moment, propped up on the pillows. His back was bitching about his efforts to remain at least partially upright and he was panting from fighting the damn miko.

Kagome put her hands on her hips, exasperated, “You haven’t exactly been up front with me. You wouldn’t even tell me your name.”

He looked down awkwardly for a moment, before he glared back up at her. “You’ve been hiding shit from me. Why the hell is okay for you but not me?” he retorted.

Kagome’s brows furrowed, “What did I hide from you?”

“That you’re the guardian of the Shikon.” It did occur to him that maybe she simply didn’t trust a transient stranger like him; something which he could understand and yet coming from her, and he had no friggin' clue why, such mistrust hurt.

“Oh,” she said, feeling a might uncomfortable. “Well...yes I didn’t ~~’~~ tell you about that,” Kagome fidgeted, “but that is very dangerous information to have.” It _did_ have to come up at some point, she knew that, but she wished they could have had a bit more time to get to know each other better before they did.

“Keh, I could’ve handled it,” Inuyasha said, pushing himself up a little straighter, even while paying for it with a pinching pain in his back. He didn’t need to be coddled like a kid, he was hurt, not helpless! Or maybe she thought he was, now that she knew about the branding. His ears drooped a little at that thought. Gods, when he thought about it, his chest burned in humiliation and much darker things.  Was she just doing this out of pity? Inuyasha really hoped not, but could see her as the type of person to do such a thing. That was the last thing he wanted, damn it.

Kagome smiled at him, “I don’t doubt you could. I was planning to tell you later,” she told him, “but right now I want you concentrating on getting some rest.” Inuyasha ignored the blatant hint even while her words helped derail his spiraling thoughts and bolster his lagging ego; leaving him slightly more convinced that it had been standard protocol and not pity that had gotten him here. A small difference, true, but an important one in Inuyasha’s opinion.

The miko tilted her head to the side, regarding him as his thoughts swam, before speaking up again, “Inuyasha, how did you even know about the Shikon no Tama?”

“I know someone who wants it,” he said, his expression darkening. The number of times Inuyasha had heard _him_ go on about it, and the number of attacks he’d suffered when the jewel had evaded him...

“Who?” she asked. Inuyasha just looked at her, “Ah… yes, it would be him wouldn’t it.”

They both lapsed into silence, as Kagome sunk down on the bed next to him, placing her hands over one of his. Inuyasha startled, jerking at the small touch. It had been such a long time since he’d had any sort of friendly touch; he hadn’t realized how much he had missed it. No ulterior motives, just a quiet sign of kindness. At the same time touching made him nervous, not calm, and he had to steal himself when Kagome slowly reached for him again. This time he managed not to draw back.

“Would you like to see it?” Kagome asked quietly.

Inuyasha’s head snapped up, eyes wide with surprise, “Th…the Shikon no Tama?” he asked.

Kagome nodded.

He hesitated. After all the things he’d heard about the jewel he was both curious and nervous, but he wasn’t weak and he had said he could handle it. His hands clenched beneath Kagome’s before giving a quick nod.

She withdrew her hands in order to pull a simple necklace out of her shirt. The miko turned away and reached behind her head, fumbling with the clasp before it opened with a snap and the chain slithered off her neck to pool in her hand. Despite himself, Inuyasha leaned forward in interest as Kagome turned and held it out to him. He frowned in confusion when he finally got a good look at it.

“I thought the Shikon no Tama was supposed to be shaped like a marble,” the young hanyou said, pointing at the jewel. “This looks like it’s been cracked in half,” he said, his tone slightly accusatory, wondering if this was some sort of trick.

The jewel was not that big, maybe the size of a large jawbreaker, with the jaw somehow threaded through it. The Jewel itself seemed to hold its own glow and at the same time made everything around it look a bit darker. The half sphere looked completely smooth and when Kagome took his hand and placed the jewel within it, he felt the rough edge of the unfinished half.

“It did, once,” Kagome told him.

Inuyasha looked up at her from staring at the jewel, “Did what?”

“Look like a marble,” she elaborated, “then the jewel was split and this half found its way to me.” She smiled at him, but Inuyasha just looked at her incredulously.

Questions burst inside his head, 'Where was the other half? Who was the other guardian?' but he kept them to himself. It didn’t really matter, he wasn’t interested in the jewel and he wasn’t planning on staying long anyway.

“I know I’ll meet the other guardian someday,” Kagome said suddenly. Inuyasha looked up at her.

“Do you think you’ll like them?” he asked

Kagome looked at little surprised at the question, giving pause for a moment. “I think… they could become very important to me,” she said finally.

Inuyasha nodded, more to himself than anything else. He imagined that Kagome felt as isolated as a guardian as he did as a hanyou; probably even more so.

They shared silence once more before Inuyasha asked, “Are you really planning on keeping me here?”

Kagome sighed, “I don't plan to, but I can't say what Sesshomaru intends,” she admitted.

Inuyasha looked down at the jewel again, but didn’t really see it. He just didn’t want Kagome to see the fear on his face. He couldn’t stay here, he just couldn’t. Sesshomaru didn’t want him here and he had no wish to be in Sesshomaru’s territory.

This wasn’t his home anymore.

The lamplight caught the jewel and he focused on it once more before holding out his hand toward Kagome.

She looked down at the jewel then up at him again, a thoughtful look on her face, “Why don’t you hold on to it for a while,” she suggested, her voice nonchalant as though offering him a comforting stuffed toy and not a powerful relic.

He gaped at her, stunned, before regaining enough of his senses to stammer, “D-Don’t be stupid,” shoving the hand holding the Shikon towards her.

She simply smiled at him, before reaching out and closing his hand around the jewel with her own, “I am sure you will do an admirable job,” she said, and gently pushed their clasped hands back towards Inuyasha.

He stared at her before slowly retracting his hand. She smiled back at him, “Here, let me help you put it on.” Kagome scooped the necklace out of his hand and reached around him, as she easily fitted the chain on his neck.

Inuyasha looked down at the jewel, feeling its small weight settle on his neck, the jewel itself dangling within his grasp. “Where’s Sesshomaru now?” he asked, when Kagome was again facing him

“He's gone back to the main estate, but he said he’ll be back tomorrow morning.” Inuyasha looked out the window unable to see the set of buildings that sat on the other side of the valley.

Kagome stood up, “Why don’t you try and get some more rest and I’ll check on you again later.” She gathered up the medicines and salves from when they had redressed his back, and set them in a cabinet, before heading towards the door. “If you need anything just call,” and without waiting for his reply she quietly slipped out the door, closing it behind her.

~~~~~

Inuyasha awoke to a darkened room; glancing at the illuminated clock and saw that it was just after midnight. He lay there for a few minutes, not wanting to leave the comfort of the soft bed and straining his ears for any out of place noises. Nothing but the light snores of someone down the hall reached his ears.

Time to go.

Slowly he rose, as mindful as he could be of his injuries, until he could ease himself out and stood listening again. Still nothing.

Inuyasha sighed. No more excuses, he needed to leave.

Inuyasha looked around the room for his clothes. Not spotting them he moved around the room, rummaging through the wooden furnishing before finally finding them, cleaned and pressed, in the wardrobe.

Inuyasha quickly stripped out of the borrowed pajamas, slipping back into the clothes he’d come here in. The Shikon jewel bumped lightly against his chest as he reached for his haori. Truth be told, he had completely forgotten about it with trying to get ready to sneak out of this place. He couldn’t take it with him. As far as he could tell, from the stories he had heard, this thing just attracted trouble and he knew there was still a good chance that at some point Naraku would catch up to him, which could very well spell his end. The last thing he wanted was for Naraku to then get his hands on the jewel. His hands gripped the chain and pulled it over his head.

Or at least he tried to.

The jewel glowed fiercely as he tried to force it over his head, tugging repeatedly, until he finally had to stop, panting and slightly dizzy from the pain in his back. His hands dropped from the chain and braced his hands onto his knees; the jewel giving one final ~~,~~ stubborn glow before going quiet once again.

What in the fucking hells was going on?! Why couldn’t he get this thing off? Kagome had no problems pulling it off, was it because she was the guardian of the Shikon?

Or...or because this wasn’t the Shikon jewel at all.

The thought stopped him and he felt like howling at the betrayal. He barely knew the miko and yet it still fucking hurt. Dammit, when was he gonna learn? He couldn't trust anyone. That fact had been pounded into him time and time again, and yet he still made these stupid freakin' mistakes. He growled, he didn’t have time to dwell on this crap. He’d just have to get over it and get out of here.

But the question was, if this wasn’t the legendary jewel than what was it? Was it some sort of tracking spell, or worse, something that could prevent him from leaving altogether? It didn’t matter. If he didn’t try to get out he wasn’t going to make it anywhere, and hell, at this point he didn’t have anything to lose.

He grabbed for his haori and pulled it on; the pain in his back making him want to claw off his own skin from his movements as he pulled it on, but soon enough he was ready to go.

Luckily he had seen that the room across the hall was empty, and it led directly to the outside. Quiet as he could, he slipped through the shoji, trying to keep to the outside of the frames ~~,~~ where the floorboards were less likely to creak. Heh, being a trouble making brat paid off after all. Finally, he was through the last door and out into the night.

He crept into the main garden, finding the old path that led to the back wall, where he had just enough strength to grab the top and pull himself over. He sat straddling the wall for a second, looking at the temple grounds below; the shadow of the Goshinboku, easily distinguishable near the main entrance.

They had said that Kaede had gone to look for him. So she had tried to find him, she had really cared for him.

Apparently she was the last one who ever had. 

~~~~~

It was an hour past dawn before movement began to stir within the household. Kagome quickly got herself ready, she hoped that Inuyasha had been able to get some sleep last night. After Sesshomaru had visited, he hadn’t looked much like resting at all. She felt like cursing, why couldn’t just one thing go smoothly?

Ah well, at least Inuyasha had been able to escape Naraku on his own. Kagome knew that Inuyasha’s confidence, despite how little she knew of him and how loudly he would protest, had to be at an all time low. Maybe, the little spur he had gained from that escape could be something they could build on.

She gathered up her medicines and some fresh dressings for his wounds. They were still not fully healed over and despite all Kagome could do for him, she couldn’t remove the mark. She bit her lip, sooner or later Naraku would return and discover Inuyasha gone. The real question was, would the magic of the temple be enough to hide Inuyasha from him or would Naraku be on their doorstep the moment he returned.

And what then?

Since Sesshomaru had already given up his legal claim to Inuyasha, Naraku had every right to assert his ‘guardianship’ over him, and no court would listen to claims of abuse for a hanyou.

Later. They would talk about this later. Sesshomaru would return this afternoon to discuss the options available to them, and then they could move on from there. Kagome just hoped there was some spell, or something, to remove that damn brand.

She stopped in front of Inuyasha’s room, manoeuvring her tray full of supplies so that she could slide the door open. When she finally got the door open, she was met with a completely empty room. The tray slipped from suddenly numb fingers. Oh god. Had Naraku returned already and taken him back? How could this have happened, she should have sensed something. She ran from the room, sprinting down the hallways before she nearly ran into Asagi. Without a word she grabbed her hand and pulled her back in the direction she had just come, until they were back at Inuyasha’s room

“I need to know what happened,” Kagome said, before Asagi could even make a sound. Asagi had a moment of stunned disbelief, before she went to work. She could still smell Inuyasha, his scent leading out of the room. She followed it to the opposite room and out into the gardens where it seemed to dissolve with the morning mist. She sighed. While the miasmic smell was still there with Inuyasha’s scent, Asagi couldn’t detect another’s scent. The idiot had left on his own.

She pointed to the garden, “His scent leads this way. He probably leapt over one of the garden walls. I don’t think anyone was with him, but there’s no telling where he’s gotten to now.” She turned back to Kagome, seeing her breath a sigh of relief.

“Right, Asagi get everyone to the central room in ten minutes. We need to send everyone out to help with the search.” Kagome then disappeared back into the house.

She dashed to the nearest phone, calling Kirara as she did. Kagome dialled the number for the main estate and was answered with the scratchy voice of Jaken. She didn’t bother asking to speak directly to Sesshomaru, he always refused to come to the phone at any rate. Instead she relayed a quick message that Inuyasha had left and that she must speak with Sesshomaru immediately, impressing on the little youkai that Sesshomaru had been waiting for this message and that he wouldn’t be pleased if he never got it.

“Of course I will deliver it to him. Stupid human, I am Sesshomaru’s most faithful servant.” And with that the line went dead.

Well at least he sounded insulted enough to actually deliver the message. She turned to Kirara who had appeared next to her during the call. She wanted Kirara to start searching from the air immediately, but as she opened her mouth to give instructions, the phone suddenly rang. Gah, she didn’t have time to deal with clients today. She snatched up the phone.

“Hello,” she said, as rudely as possible to try and get the person off the phone. However, the person on the other side was not to be out done.

“How in all the hells could Inuyasha be GONE?!” Sesshomaru roared through the phone.

Kagome was stunned. “Se-Sesshomaru? What are you doing on a phone?”

“I am trying to discover,” he spat, his teeth grinding so hard in anger Kagome could actually hear the enamel scraping, “how you let a crippled hanyou escape from your custody, when he can barely walk!”

“I didn’t _let_ him escape, Sesshomaru. And I have no idea how he managed it in his condition.”

“The same way he escaped from Naraku’s, you idiotic miko!” Sesshomaru immediately shot back. “Did it not occur to you from my orders that he might be less than pleased with staying at the shrine.”

“Yes it did,” she snapped, clearly affronted by Sesshomaru’s tone, “but I didn’t think he would be so eager to get out of here that he would leave with his wounds barely taken care of. Now you can either calm down right now or I am hanging up this phone.”

There was a long pause on the other side of the line. After a few moments Kagome heard a deep breath from the other end. Good, now maybe they could get something useful done. “Do you know of any paths or caves that Inuyasha might use to get out of the area? I doubt he will head any closer to Naraku’s territory if he can manage it.”

Again more silence from the other line and then, “I believe I know of a few trails that Inuyasha may try to take. I will send Aiko and Haku to you. They will attempt to track Inuyasha from the temple; while I shall search the trails surrounding the main house.”

Kagome nodded in understanding, though Sesshomaru couldn’t see, “Alright, I’ll send the others out searching as well.”

“Hmm,” was her answer, before the line simply went dead as Sesshomaru hung up. She huffed at his rudeness and slammed the phone back down on the hook.

Honestly, how impolite could a person be? She looked down at Kirara, who stared back with calm, level eyes. Right, this was no time to be worrying about the manners of a daiyoukai.

Kagome ran from the room, hearing Asagi yelling at the others to get up, and the inevitable grumbling from the disturbed sleepers. She headed to her office to grab a map of the area, her thoughts already on who would be best to send where.

Bouncing around in her disturbed synapses was the confusion about why she couldn’t sense where Inuyasha was, and the hope that Naraku hadn’t found the wayward lost boy already.

~~~~~

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha and the little man in my finger says I never will.


	8. When Paths Collide

~~Chapter Eight~~

When Paths Collide

~~~~~.

 

Sesshomaru soared over the treetops. He had a fair idea of which direction Inuyasha had headed. The hanyou was trying to leave these lands, but at the same time put as much distance between himself and Naraku’s territory. The best way to do that would have been that was to use a tunnel that cut through the mountain, which rested between the main house and the temple. But that had been a hundred years ago, and a quarter century back the tunnel had partially collapsed and become completely impassable.

 

But Inuyasha didn’t know that and he may very well have chosen to rest within the cave. With little rest and his body still trying to recuperate, the hanyou may have needed a breather at some point. Either way it improved Sesshomaru’s odds of picking up on his trail. But more than catching up with the hanyou, Sesshomaru still needed to figure out what he was going to do with him once he did. It was now very evident that the miko would not be cooperative with this. So what options did that leave Sesshomaru?

 

He had been contemplating several throughout the night, but not only did he have to contend with the half-breed’s stubbornness, but also the very old magic of the youkai branding, which, if left as it was, would bring Naraku to their doorstep. And although Sesshomaru did not fear the misbegotten creature currently lurking on his borders, that same creature currently had the law on his side. And there was the added danger that in Naraku’s deranged quest to get his property back, Naraku could very well catch a hint of the Shikon no Tama. Something that Sesshomaru had sworn to keep guarded for the very stability of his lands. That hunk of twisting souls, though well harnessed in the miko’s hands, would bring nothing but chaos if discovered.

 

With all these complications and responsibilities, Sesshomaru’s options were fast twindling. When he had gone to the miko for aide he had hoped that upon learning of the youkai brand, she would have been able to exploit the powers of the Shikon to rid Inuyasha of it. That, however, appeared not to be the case. So with that option no longer viable he had been able to think of only one other route that guaranteed success. An ancient route he was very much loathed to take.

 

The land passed quickly beneath him and soon enough he came upon the cave. The entrance was largely obscured by a set of two massive boulders, but for those who knew of it those same boulders provided distinct markers. 

 

He landed quietly and looked around for any signs of the wayward hanyou. At first he noticed none. No footprints in the moist soil, no disturbed paths, no markers that should have been had any injured creature passed this way. But as Sesshomaru extended his power over the land, the land itself responded to his blood call. Slowly the path that had been obscured revealed itself to its lord and Sesshomaru could see the trail leading into the cave, but more importantly, a much more recent trail leading out. Despite Sesshomaru’s calculations the half-breed was still on the move. Had Inuyasha taken complete leave of his senses? He should have collapsed by now.

 

Apparently Inuyasha was as stubborn as he had ever been.

 

With the mist still hanging thickly in the air Sesshomaru had no choice but to track the hanyou with ground signs; his scent trail was still completely obscured.

 

He moved swiftly, the land continuing to reveal the trail as he made his way through his forest. Until he came to an abrupt halt at the edge of a stream, where the land revealed nothing more.

 

~~~~~

Inuyasha couldn’t believe it. When was the supercilious bastard going to give.up. Inuyasha had done exactly what they both wanted, gotten out of his hair and he was moving as fast as he could to get off his lands. That should have been obvious to Sesshomaru. Hell it didn’t take a fucking rocket scientist to figure out what Inuyasha was trying to do.

 

And Inuyasha wasn’t stupid. He’d heard that whole supposed hushed conversation between Kagome and Sesshomaru. While it seemed Sesshomaru hadn’t cared for Inuyasha being at the tender mercies of Naraku - probably some fucking family pride thing - it was still painfully obvious he didn’t want Inuyasha around.

 

_And you know what, fuck him too_ , Inuyasha thought furiously. _I didn’t need his goddamn help to escape and I don’t want it now._

He’d fought for years for Sesshomaru’s approval, his acceptance, even as Sesshomaru had avoided this valley almost the entire time he'd lived and now that Inuyasha had come to grips with the fact that he wasn’t ever going to get it, the jerk was coming after him like some hound of hell. Inuyasha’s claws bit deeper into the wood of the tree, where he had taken shelter when he’d felt Sesshomaru’s power seep into the soil.

 

When he had first found out that the tunnel had been blocked, and after he'd sworn up a storm, he had been oh so tempted to just rest for a little bit inside the cave. His back was a constant screaming wound, his vision kept trying to go out on him, the darkness hovering at the sides, ready to swallow if he didn’t take at least a few short breaks and overall he was just so sore. Naraku’s poisons were apparently still messing with his body and the couple hours he’d grabbed back at the shrine hadn’t been anywhere near enough to fight’em off.

 

But Inuyasha knew that those people from the shrine might be looking for him, hell even Sesshomaru could have been, just to spite him and to be caught in that cave would have been to be well and truly cornered. So Inuyasha had reversed course and gotten his butt back out of the cave and continued along with circling the mountain. He’d hoped to get around the eastern side before the afternoon sun burned away this blessing of a morning mist but just as he’d started to wade through a stream he’d felt Sesshomaru.

 

Apparently Inuyasha had been right to entertain the idea that Sesshomaru might be after his mangled ass. Fan-fucking- tastic.

 

He knew the bastard had picked up on his trail and there was no way he could outrun him in this condition so the best he could do was hide like some kid up in this tree. A tree which had been perched on a boulder upstream from where he had first gone in so there should be no way for Sesshomaru to track him and the foliage was thick enough that he couldn’t be seen from the top or bottom. So as long as he kept still and quiet he should be okay.

 

Inuyahsa sighed. It was going to be a long fucking day.

 

~~~~~

Sesshomaru growled in frustration as he looked around. There were no signs of Inuyasha on either side of the stream, which meant he’d gone in, making tracking near on impossible. There was some advantage to be had for knowing Inuyasha’s goals, Sesshomaru could at least narrow down in which direction he had headed. Downstream of course led down the mountain and into the valley, closer to the estate. So it was a safe bet Inuyasha hadn’t headed that way. But knowing upstream was hardly any better for him, as upstream led to several tributaries that fed into this stream. Still it was a direction and hopefully Inuyasha would have left the stream before it started to break up.

 

Sesshomaru quickly traversed the closest bank before leaping to the other side, each time checking for signs of Inuyasha as he jumped back and forth across the stream, zigzagging across the water.

 

As he looked to the opposite shore once again to leap across Sesshomaru casually placed a hand on a tree that guarded this side. And almost immediately he felt an answering thrum of magic to his constant query.

 

_Clever,_ Sesshomaru thought. The half-breed had gone into the trees and tried to wait out Sesshomaru’s passage. It would have even worked had it been anyone else, but Sesshomaru was master of these lands. And the land never kept secrets from its master.

 

~~~~~

Inuyasha jerked back from the truck that he had been clinging onto, feeling the unmistakable pulse of magic. _What the hell?!_ Was all he could think before the whole thing shook as Sesshomaru landed on the branch right next to him, glaring bloody murder, his claws poised to strike.

 

“Fucking Hells!” Inuyasha shot backwards, immediately losing his perch upon the branch, his body twisting around to brace the fall; when his decent was abruptly halted by a hand on the back of his shirt. Inuyasha reached back with his claws to get the bastard off him, but Sesshomaru was quicker and launched them both from the tree, the twisting landscape causing Inuyasha’s arms to fall to his sides. As soon as they hit the ground Sesshomaru let go; the vertigo of the ride dropping Inuyasha to his knees, panting.

 

Sesshomaru made no another move, though Inuyasha knew he was still standing right behind him. He shook his head to clear, then jumped and spun around to face, grinding his teeth in frustration as the small move caused the darkness to creep around the edges of his vision once more. How was he going to get himself out of this mess?

 

_Easy_ , he thought stubbornly, _if you can’t make it, fake it_.

 

“What the fuck do you want Sesshomaru. I ain’t got time for your shit today. So get the hell out of my way before I fuck’in make you.”

 

“Do not be foolish, hanyou, you can barely stand”

 

Inuyasha’s fangs grinded, _Well so much for that brilliant plan_.

 

“You will return immediately to the shrine. I have no desire to prolong this foolishness.” Sesshomaru intoned, his expression as closed as always.

 

Well fuck this. Inuyasha lunged, his claws reaching to get something out of that too passive face, hopefully blood. But just as he closed the last few centimetres, his target was gone and he felt the grip once more land on the back of his neck, like he was some goddamn puppy that needed to be scruffed.

 

Inuyasha reached back to get those paws off him, but Sesshomaru merely trapped both wrists in his other hands. _Sonofa~!_ Inuyasha countered by trying to strike with his feet, kicking back like a cantankerous mule. He was promptly shaken until he thought his eyeballs would fall right out of his skull. He let his head fall to his chest, hair falling around him, trying to breathe deeply, otherwise he was pretty sure he was gonna vomit all over himself. He didn’t need that loss of control right now. Of course, had he been facing the pompous ass behind him, he would have simply aimed.

 

“I am through discussing this half-breed. Do you really think it wise to abandon the protection of your blood.” Inuyasha didn’t even register the frustration in Sesshomaru’s voice, his own rising temper making only his pounding pulse audible.

 

And that anger simmered and numbed any pain, “There ain’t nothing on these shitty little lands that I want!”  

 

Inuyasha felt the hands encasing his wrists squeeze tighter, as Sesshomaru growled, “You would deny your blood.”

 

Well that just fucking tears it.

 

“You goddamn hypocrite,” Inuyasha raged, “You’ve denied my fucking blood my entire life and now that it’s convenient for you, you try to play it like some reserve hand! Well I’m calling you on your goddamn bullshit. You aren’t my brother Sesshomaru and you will never be my fucking pack!”

 

Without warning the hands holding his wrists pulled forward and Inuyasha had to dig in his toes to stop himself from pitching forward onto his face, while he felt the hand on his neck let go only to seize the back of his collar and yank back. Inuyasha’s body twisted, trying to stay standing, so that he was now next to Sesshomaru, his upper body stretched out. _What the..?!!_

 

“If your heritage will not hold you to these lands, then I will chain you to them.”

 

And with that, Sesshomaru struck.

 

 


	9. Fates Revealed

~~Chapter Nine~~

Fates Revealed

Pain

That was all Inuyasha could focus on as he felt fangs pierce the back of his neck; those jaws clamping down over his spine to hold him in place. Inuyasha tried to get out of the hold, tried to tug his hands out of that manacle like grip or rip himself out from between the bastard’s teeth. But that maw simply closed tighter and a growl vibrated up into his skull. So all he got for his troubles was more vertigo and a short black out when all his tugging had tightened the skin over his windpipe.

And then that pain began to spread, and even more terrifying was the icy numbness that seeped in after. As if the pain was blazing a trail inside his body for whatever the hell was following. And Inuyasha could do nothing to stop it. Sesshomaru was in complete control.

Inuyasha felt panic start to seize him. He couldn’t just sit here and let this shit happen. But nothing he’d tried had worked he felt completely out of control, like he always felt when he got sick, that his body wasn’t listening anymore and there wasn’t a fucking thing he could do about it. 

And then it was over, Sesshomaru was sliding his fangs from beneath Inuyasha’s skin and released his hold on Inuyasha, who immediately fell to his hands and knees. All Inuyasha could do was crouch there and pant, whatever Sesshomaru had done to him was still going on, that numbing pain still advancing within his body.  It was so slow and yet so persistent, as inevitable as the tide. But even as it proceeded with its slow invasion, Inuyasha leaned back on his calves, his claws digging deeper into the ground before him. He concentrated on his claws sinking into the soil. It was the best thing he could do to ground himself, ‘cause everything else seemed ready to pitch ass over heels.

_Dig and flex, dig and flex._ Inuyasha thought - over and over again. _A stone._ He flicked out from beneath his claws. The ground did another sneaky list.

_Breathe dammit._ He took a deeper breath, focusing on his chest expanding and he felt the assault speed up in that brief moment.

He looked up at Sesshomaru, his glare accusatory even as his vision swam for a second before he could focus on that pompous face.

“What in fuck’in hells did you do?” he demanded in a rasp whisper, his hand reaching up to the scruff of his neck; which now pulsed with each beat of his heart.

“I insured that you will not be leaving this pack’s land without my knowledge.” Sesshomaru informed him, as though this was nothing,

_Pack’s land?!_ And then it clicked

“A goddamn pack claim!” Inuyasha yelled, surging up from the ground   You fucking sono—“ but before Inuyasha could utter another sound his breathe froze inside his chest as pain exploded. He collapsed to the ground; clutching at his chest, screaming, as he felt a hellfire burn and twist his flesh.

_Oh gods._

~~~~~

Sesshomaru had expected some difficulties when he found Inuyasha stuck up in that tree. He had known that his options were down to one in two; either the half-breed would choose to return or Seeshomaru would give him no choice but to return. He’d expected Inuyasha’s refusal, he’d expected him to be stubborn, he’d even suspected that the hanyou would try and fight him; though he couldn’t help be a little surprised at Inuyasha’s fierceness given his behavior not forty-eight hours ago.

But what Sesshomaru had never expected was that moments after the pack claim had been administered, seconds after Inuyasha had started shouting profanities once again; that Inuyasha would collapse with a scream of pure agony, a scream which was quickly shattered by rasping coughs as if the hanyou was suffocating under some unseen force.

_What was going on?_

Without thought, he was next to the brash teenager, bending over his prone form. He had to pry Inuaysha’s finger out of his shirt, untangling the digits from the holes they had made in his rain jacket. Once the hanyou’s hand was out of the way, he popped open the coat. And stopped.

There, encasing the half-breed’s torso, was one of his father’s heirlooms, the fire rat haori. He couldn’t believe Inuyasha had managed to hold onto it this entire time. But he couldn’t focus on that right now. Inuyasha still couldn’t seem to breathe properly, his claws now scratching at the ground beneath them, apparently blind to Seeshomaru's presence. Sesshomaru parted the folds of the haori and stared in shock at the sight before him.  The Shikon no Tama was on Inuyasha’s chest, glowing malevolently through the hole in had burned in Inuyasha’s shirt.

_What was Inuyasha doing with the shikon no tama?!_ _Had the miko given it to him? Why? What possible good could have come from it?_ In one clean slice the shirt was parted and revealed exactly what had caused Inuyasha’s pain.

The shikon no tama was trying to fuse with him. Thin tendrils of translucent stone were already bleeding out from where the stone had bonded to Inuyasha. No visible separation between skin and stone. And suddenly he knew if he didn’t act that accursed jewel wouldn’t stop until it was irrevocably tied with Inuyasha. Sesshomaru reached out, intending to rip the malignant tumor from Inuyasha. But the moment his hand neared the stone it threw off sparks of power, lancing numbness up his arm and briefly engulfing his hand in a magical fire, which was extinguished the moment he took his claws away.

Sesshomaru tried to think even as he had to hold down the hanyou from clawing at his own skin. _Had the miko tried to paw off her responsibility or was this a play she had made to ensure this Sesshomaru’s cooperation._ He felt his temper spike. _This Sesshomaru would be manipulated be no one._ He would not dance to her tune, but as Lord of these lands he would get the answers he wanted.

Not wasting any more time fruitlessly trying to get the jewel to let go, he extended his youki until his pelt emerged around his shoulder. It slithered around the hanyou’s body, holding his arms at his sides, ignoring the attempted cursing that Inuyasha tried to force out between those bone-wracking coughs. The pain now seemingly starting to come in ebbs and flows, pulsing through the body he now placed on his shoulder, wary of both the boy’s back and chest.  As soon as Inuyasha was secure he gathered his energy around him and was off; a fast moving ball of light that made its way straight to the Anzen no Chi shrine. 

Within minutes his feet touched town on the flagstones of the main courtyard, and luckily for him the miko appeared seconds later, summoned by Inuyasha. As soon as she saw him she ran out to meet him; her face a mirror of both shock and relief at the picture he must have made.

“Sesshomaru what…” she asked, her eyes roving over him, stopping on Inuyasha’s behind, “--what happened?”

“That is what I would like to know,” Sesshomaru said, his voice cold.

She looked confused, his eyebrows knitting as she tried to decipher his words, “What do you m—“ and then the shikon gave a small pulse of power, forcing a gasp of pain through Inuyasha’s coughs and dawning comprehension on the miko’s face. “Oh,” was all she could say, her hand going to her mouth as her eyes widened.

“Yes,” he said, “Oh.”

She dropped her hand, “This way,” was all she said, turning towards the main sanctuary of the temple and walking promptly away from them. Sesshomaru followed; glad that no explanation would be needed. As soon he entered the inner sanctum, the shoji closed around them closed, a brief flash of power sealing the room. He set Inuyasha down on the floor, unwrapping his pelt from around Inuyasha’s now trembling body. Sesshomaru looked up at the miko from across Inuyasha’s exposed torso, where the shikon still marched on in its terrible work. There was no surprise on her face at the sight of what the stone was doing.

_She knew!_

“Why have you allowed this to happen? What are you plotting?” He demanded, standing up to use his height to its full advantage. 

The miko remained calm, “I’m not plotting anything Sesshomaru. This is simply what has to be.”

Red crept into his vision, “So you would shirk your responsibility onto one who can barely stand, let alone defend himself from such an attack.”

The young woman shook he head, “I’m not shirking anything Sesshomaru, I…”

“Liar,” He declared, startlingly her with his ferocity, “How can you still claim to guard that accursed jewel when it is before you at this very moment trying to merge with him.”

Inuyasha groaned, drawing their attention, his coughs subsiding enough that he opened his eyes and managed to croak out, “I’m right here, d-don’t argue like I’m some f-re-kin doormat.” Sesshomaru watched as the miko smiled down at Inuyahsa, bending down and taking his hand before giving it a reassuring squeeze. Inuyasha focused in on her, though Sesshomaru could see it was difficult for him “S-so ugh what the f-fuck is goin’ on.”

Her smile faded as she stood straight once more to address Sesshomaru, “I would never abandon my duty.” Sesshomaru couldn’t help the growl that escaped, but it was stopped short when she reached for the hem of her shirt and began drawing it over her head. _What the…?_

Then he saw what she was trying to show him. It was the Shikon no Tama, staring out at him from the center of her chest, partially obscured by her bra.  Strands of stone fractured out from a solid core, with no discernable edge between the skin and jewel, and all the while following the body’s contours.

 “I am and always will be the Guardian of the Shikon no Tama,” She looked down at Inuyasha a quiet smile on her lips, her eyes sad, “And so are you.”

 

~~~~

He couldn’t have heard right. There was no way he’d just heard right. Cripes, he must be seriously messed up to have heard what he thought he had heard. He was still having one hell of a time simply trying to keep the girl in focus, his own thoughts escaping his efforts to stay on one track. The nausea that had been swimming in the background was now rising up. He turned over onto his side, closing his eyes once more, feeling the tatami press into his face. Gods, he wished the world would stop spinning, even when he closed his eyes, he could feel it lurching just beyond his eyelids.

“I think we should bring him to the bathroom. He looks like he’s going to be sick.” That was Kagome talking again. Would they stop speaking over him! Not that he was up for much chit chat, he just wanted to sleep - maybe when he woke up he wouldn’t feel so crappy.

“Very well I…What is that?” Inuyasha immediately knew that Sesshomaru was referring to him, or more specifically, what was going on with his back.  That painful numbness from before had been spreading this entire time and now seemed to be zeroing in on his scars; he felt a moist glob of something start to slip down his back.

“We need to move him now,” That was Kagome again and there was a new urgency in her voice.

A moment of silence, “Agreed, but you will answer my questions, as well.”

“Of course, now move!”

Inuyasha heard cloth shuffling before he felt that fur from before wrap around him again, vertigo tilted behind his eyelids and then he was on Sesshomaru’s shoulder. 

They walked in silence, the loudest thing he could hear was his own damn breathing, broken once when Kagome spoke to somebody, telling them to call off the search for his sorry ass. Soon enough he was being set back down on a bathroom floor, the tiles cool beneath him.  He opened his eyes -the land didn’t tilt as badly this time - and saw just to his right was the toilet.

As if the sight of it was the trigger, the bile rose up in his throat. He quickly grabbed at the bowl, retching. After the first wave, the shaking worsened, but the nausea had calmed slightly. Someone was holding his hair back from his face, Kagome by the sound of things. Then she was coaxing him back, telling him they needed to get his top off. Inuyasha wondered where Sesshomaru was at this point. He’d probably left the moment he could to get away from him. 

But then Sesshomauru spoke up, “I shall speak with you again, once this has been taken care.”

Kagome was gone from Inuyasha’s side so fast he nearly collapsed sideways to the floor. “Oh no you don’t! You want your answers; you’re going to stay and help.”

Sesshomaru snorted, “And why is this responsibility mine? I was able to retrieve him, while you only remained here and coordinated a fruitless search.”

“You know damn well this is your responsibility Sesshomaru, for a whole bunch of reasons.” Kagome tone got lower, “Not least of which is that I can feel your youki is at work.”

Inuyasha clutched the bowl and looked back. Sesshomaru was turned away from him and Inuyasha could just see the miko standing in front of him, blocking his way out the door. Damn suicidal thing to do in his opinion.

But Inuyasha was having trouble focusing on what they were saying. Hell he couldn’t seem to hold a thought in his head for more than a few seconds. _The toilet feels so cool on my face. The tiles don’t line up._ He picked at a spot on the floor. _There’s rust on the cabinet hinge._

_Their yelling just makes it worse._

“Do not dare attempt to shift blame for this fiasco onto me. What I did to ensure he remain within these borders is insignificant compared to what that jewel is attempting to do.”

“The jewel isn’t doing this!” she shouted, then lowered her voice when Inuyasha groaned. “Or at least not all of it. He shouldn’t be reacting like this at all.”

“Then you do not know the cause of his current sickness.” Sesshomaru’s voice sounded slightly surprised and there something else as well – disappointment, concern maybe? Well it certainly couldn’t be for him. Another fit of coughing triggered more vomiting and blessedly the end to the argument behind him.

Kagome was beside him again; her voice gentler than he’d yet heard it. “Here Inuyasha let me help you get your shirt off. Sesshomaru, hold back his hair.”

Inuyasha felt one pair of hands start to work on his layers. Getting rid the tattered coat, his hoari and his punctured t-shirt, as another pair of hands gathered up his hair and kept it from his back. There was a soft hiss at the sight of it

He could guess it must be pretty awful, the smell was bad enough – acrid and stinging to his nose. The taste was no better –he was vomiting up the same stuff that was coming off his back. He shuddered as he felt another glob ooze down his back; but a few moments later of warm stream of water began to cleanse his back. He sighed at the sensation, leaning his head against the porcelain as the hands his hair began to stroke his scalp.

It was almost like his body was purging itself. But how? If the Shikon no tama had been able to do that, it would have done it the moment Kagome had handed it over. And he’d never heard of a pack claim doing anything like this either.

And he just felt so aweful. The pain was bad enough but he also just felt nearly jittery from exhaustion; bruised and battered like he’d been in some sort of fight.

Inuyasha’s eyes widened as his thoughts briefly cleared. That was what’s wrong. He wasn’t in a fight; his body was the freakin’ battlefield for one.

Inuyasha jumped as he felt Kagome’s hand brush the back of his neck. “Sesshomaru, what’s this?”

“It is a pack claim.”

“A pack claim,” she repeated dumbly.” I’ve never heard of such a thing.”

“I would be surprised if you had. It isn’t very common nowadays, but it is an ancient magic among the canine youkai.”

“A fight,” Inuyasha interrupted, trying to hold onto the thought. He’d needed to say it before it got lost in the jumble.

“I…I don’t understand.” Kagome said hesitantly. “What fight?”

Inuyasha opened his mouth to reply but he felt the bile rise up and knew if he tried it he’d just be sick again. Instead, he raised a shaky hand to tap his nose, then the Shikon no tama, his back and finally at Sesshomaru.

Sesshomaru leaned closer to him and Inuyasha heard him take a soft inhale, before he leaned back. “I believe Inuyasha is right. So much magic, and so much energy is within his body that those energies are fighting it out.”

“But why now? Why not when I first gave Inuyasha the Shikon no Tama?”

"The pus coming off his back reeks of Naraku. It appears as though his shouki is being expunged."

"But its coming from the wounds that were filled with his shouki so wouldn't that make sense?"

"He's also vomiting it up. When I administrated the pack claim, it was almost immediately afterwards that the Shikon no tama began to react. I suspect that my youki is trying to drive out Naraku's poison. It is one of the possibilities I envisioned when I placed the mark."

"Alright," said Kagome after a few minutes of silence. "That explains why I can feel you youki, but Inuyasha's youki doesn't feel right. It feels unsettled somehow." Inuyasha begin sick once more stopped the conversation and it was some minutes before his stomach settled down again. He was so exhausted that he didn't even notice that he was now leaning as much against Sesshomaru, as the damn toilet bowl, while those claws remained a steady rhythm in his hair.

Finally Kagome spoke up again. “Sesshomaru what happened at Naraku’s.”

“No!” Inuyasha shouted, jerking back and glaring at Sesshomaru, or at least trying to. He better dare not tell.

Sesshomaru regarded him for a moment then said, “I will say only what is necessary Inuyasha – the branding ceremony – nothing more.” Inuyasha eyes shifted slightly, and he could focus briefly as he peered into Sesshomaru’s.

“Fine,” he croaked at last, his gaze drifting once more and he slumped forward against the toilet bowl.

The combing, which had stopped when he shouted resumed, almost like Sesshomaru could think of nothing better. It wouldn't surprise Inuyasha if Sesshomaru had never been this close to a sick person in all his life. It'd certainly been a rare enough thing for him to be sick, someone like Sesshomaru probably had no clue what it was like.

“From what I saw when I arrived Naraku had only recently completed this branding ceremony, but that is not all he’d done. Apparently, he also pulled out Inuyasha’s tail.”

“His tail?” she asked, “But I figured that’s his sign of maturity, wouldn’t that be out already.”

Sesshomaru gave a short shake of his head. “For Inuyoukai the tail does not appear until we are fully mature, when we are comfortable in our adult bodies. For humans I believe this happens around the end of their second decade or the beginning of their third.”

“You mean, like late teens early twenties?”

“Correct, though our sexual maturation begins far before that.” Inuyasha stiffened at those words – that was dangerous territory.

“So what does pulling out the tail do?”

“There are several scenarios that I can see. The first is that it stops him from maturing any further physically.”

“It does? But I thought such signs were just that. Like body hair or boobs.”

Inuaysha gave an aborted snort of laughter. Apparently even half dead people still found the word boobs funny.

Sesshomaru looked between the two of them, clearly not understanding the joke but ignored their strangeness. “For the inuyoukai and many others this is not the case. Their mark of maturity comes about when they are mature, yes, but it is also linked to their magic. If our internal magic always ran the same we would never mature past infant. So when the mark begins to appear our own magic starts to change from controlled growth to healing.”

“Okay I mostly understood that bit already, but he looks to be 16 or 17; wouldn’t the tail have been coming out soon anyway?”

“I would say it would have been two or three more decades before it emerged. For someone like Naraku - appearing older than Inuyasha would continue to give him authority over him. I also hypothesize that he chose to administer the full brand at the same time he ripped out Inuyasha’s tail so that he could entwine his own energies with Inuyasha’s.”

Inuyasha saw the blood run from Kagome’s face, “What?”

“He would have wanted to have total control of Inuyasha’s youki. The best time to accomplish this is when the youki is changing.”

“But why, he already had control. What the hell was he up to?”

“He had control of Inuyasha’s life not his magic, his youki. In its basic form the branding would have granted claim, a mere symbol. In the more advanced form that Naraku appeared to be using he put part of himself into the brand. It would allow him to track Inuyasha wherever he went as well....”

“What?!” Inuyasha croaked, pulling himself up from the bowl, his eyes darting frantically. Naraku knew where he was? Could track him? He had to get out of here!

He started to struggle to his feet.

“Inuyasha stop!” Kagome cried, jumping up to try and keep him down.

“No, I can’t stay.Naraku…Naraku could be here …I need distance…” His thoughts were starting to fray again, but one managed to stay in the fore. He needed to move, to go and that was what he focused on.

Suddenly Sesshomaru was in front of him, blocking the door, his hands on Inuyasha’s upper arms. “Inuyasha,” he said and that voice commanded his focus, seemed to fill up his brain with the need to pay attention. “Naraku will not find you here. The Brand is being cleansed.”

Inuyasha clung on to Sesshomaru’s arms to keep himself standing, “How?”

Sesshomaru’s eyes flickered down to the Shikon no Tama. It was not a painful as before, apparently satisfied with it foothold it seemed to be going much slower. Instead of the inferno he’d first experienced it was now the kind of pain that made him want to gnaw his own arm off from the frustrating agony it had become.

“The pack claim. As long as you are on these lands that should supersede any other mark."

Inuyasha sneered. “You ..did that to keep…here,” he gasped and his knees started to buckle under him again. Sesshomaru lowered the two of them back down. It was pathetic, he’d barely been standing a minute and he was panting, but the other two said nothing of it.

"Naraku's poison is being driven out and with it the Brand will be cut off." Sesshomaru's eyes looked passed him, seeking confirmation from somewhere, as he tried to process what they were saying. They'd said something before, about the shouki, about a fight.

Or had he said it? He couldn't remember. He just couldn’t think!

Then two hands cupped his face and he found himself staring straight into Kagome’s grey eyes. Slowly she leaned forward and placed her forehead against his. He tried to jerk back out of her grasp.

What if he was sick again?

But Kagome held firm, making a soft shushing noise, “Just a few moments Inuyasha.”

Inuyasha could feel energy come from her, similar to what he'd felt when they first met, only this time it was much softer; a soothing wash of power that made him close his eyes, his muscles loosening, as he sunk into the sensation.

The three of them sat there on the cold tiles. Sesshomaru still holding onto his arms, while Kagome was off to his right side. Inuyasha opened his eyes to glance at Sesshomaru, who he was still clinging to, but the sight of the tangle of arms was too much for his stomach.

Sesshomaru and Kagome both seemed to know what was coming and had him back over the toilet bowl to vomit of more of the black sludge.

 


	10. Working Hypothesis

**Chapter 10**

Nearly an hour later, Inuyasha slumped, unconscious against Sesshomaru. Beside them, Kagome closed the lid and flushed before hurrying out the door to get the bedroom ready. Since there was little else she could do while here and was being otherwise uncooperative Sesshomaru saw no point in waylaying her. 

The last dozen minutes or so had seen some progress. Inuyasha's back had stopped oozing those large globs and he seemed to be vomiting little more than stomach bile now. The Brand still looked infected but it had lost some of its unnatural hues.

When Inuyasha's previous bout of sickness had subsided; Sesshomaru had inquired what she had found during her examination and she had opened her mouth instantly to reply. But then she had just stared at him, her brows slowly lowering.

Never a good sign.

“No,” she had said at last, “I think we’ll worry about that afterwards.”

“Why?” he demanded, suspicious.

“Because Inuyasha needs to understand what is happening to him and he’s in no condition to hear it at the moment.”

“Then tell him when he is better, but I, at least, need to understand what is happening now.”

“Hmm,” she mused, “No I don’t think so. I think I’ll wait and explain it all when you both can listen. I’d rather just tell you both at the same time.”

Sesshomaru felt his eyebrow twitch. She was blackmailing him! And what was worse, it was working. He’d turned his head away from her, utterly annoyed at such an underhanded tactic. He could turn down money, fame, all such useless trapping but information.

Oh, he just wanted to shake it out of her!

And there was also the matter of the Brand; though definitely lesser than it had been, it was still there. Damn her! He couldn't act without more information.

So he had remained, keeping up the strokes through Inuyasha's hair. It was what his mother had done for him the few times he'd been ill as a child and it made him feel a little less useless in any event. It was what one was supposed to do in such a situation wasn’t it?

The fact that the hanyou was now slumped against _him_ , well, he blamed that on the miko. She had subtly shifted her patient as she's worked on him, until Sesshomaru was sitting here with an armful of exhausted hanyou.

He didn't think he'd ever been in a more undignified position in all his life. There he was on a bathroom floor, his clothes stained and reeking of too many substances to name, with a wayward hanyou practically sprawled in his lap. The detritus of the last couple hours of treatment scattered all about them; the floor was soaked, dirty towels lay all around them, a few tiles were even cracked where Inuyasha had taken his frustration out on them at some point.

And in the middle of all that chaos, sat Sesshomaru, more ill at ease with the decisions that had led him there then he could ever recall being. It had been true that when he’d been tracking the hanyou he had considered using the Pack Bond. But he'd thought of it as a last resort to keep Inuyasha here and possibly nullify the Brand. Perhaps just threaten the brat with it if he really needed to.

But when Inuyasha denied his heritage, the connection he had to these lands, to Sesshomaru; when Sesshomaru had been gracious enough to offer him safety and Inuyasha had thrown it back in his face. Sesshomaru had seen red. He would not allow it.

But now that he was confronted with the consequences he felt far from sure. Why had he done it? Inuyasha had been in no condition to fight. He could have simply hauled the hanyou back here. And though he spoke as if it was simply the logical thing to do, he actually didn’t know what the outcome would be.

Nobody had ever pitted the two magics against each other before and the Shikon no Tama didn’t simplify things one bit. There was also the small matter of Inuyasha’s reaction to all this; for now Inuyasha was in no shape to go anywhere. But he would heal in time and his attitude on the subject was not encouraging.

Sesshomaru blew out a breath and leaned his head against the cool tile behind him. He could already feel the vague awareness in his head, like an itch in his brain that he would have to learn to ignore. At this distance and with such a loose tie between them, the Pack Mark was fairly useless. And he would not allow it to grow any stronger.

As it was it would be little more than a compass for him, but one that would always point ‘due hanyou.’ The rest of it – Sesshomaru clenched his fists – absolutely not. He had no need to be tied any deeper to the hanyou.

Another thing to plague his mind was Naraku. He had clearly administered the Brand so that he could always track Inuyasha. So why was the creature not hounding down their doors as they sat here. Did he not realize that Inuyasha was missing?

 It was possible, he mused.

The Brand wouldn’t give Naraku a point on a map but rather a general sense of distance and direction. If Naraku was not at his new home and was far enough away - then he wouldn’t realize that Inuyasha had moved. Many scholars even suspected the Youkai Brand was a twisted form of the Pack Mark, some sort of perverse derivative; whose creators did not want the mutual connection provided by the Mark.

If the Pack Mark and Shikon no Tama could distort or perhaps, even negate the Brand, that would at least buy them some time. Sesshomaru looked down at the Shikon no Tama. There was only a small lump in the center of the fractured frame to show that it was not quite finished. Sesshomaru raised a hand and felt the stone. The lump still felt like hard crystal, but the rest like the smoothest skin, unblemished yet indelibly marked.

Inuyasha shuddered and Sesshomaru dropped his hand. It wouldn't do any good to awaken him and Sesshomaru wanted him healed; he knew the miko would be just as tight lipped about the jewel as everything else until he was.

~~~

Kagome came back to the bathroom, bearing clean robes for Sesshomaru as well as Inuyasha. All but Inuyasha's hoari had been destroyed and Sesshomaru's needed a good cleaning too. Seeing Inuyasha sprawled in Sesshomaru's lap, who looked more disheveled then she could ever remember seeing him made Kagome turn away to hide a smile.

"Not one word, Miko," Sesshomaru growled

Apparently she hadn't been fast enough, "I wouldn't dream of it." she replied no longer hiding her grin.

Sesshomaru merely sighed.

~~~

“So if it did not react when you placed the Shikon on Inuyasha how were you so sure he was the one.”

“You know how I knew.”

“They told you.”

_They who’s they_ , Inuyasha mused, his mind cloudy. Then he came back to himself with a start, his claws clutching a pillow under his head, as his eyes popped open.

He saw that he was back in the room he'd first been put in. Kagome once again at his bedside, half rising out of her chair at his movement.

He glared at her, growling when she made a move towards him. She'd lied to him and worse she'd even sent Sesshomaru after him.

Sesshomaru!

That's right. That ass had been the one to drag him back here.  Had he left right after? No...no he'd been in the bathroom hadn't he? But, how long ago was that? He tried to turn over to see the room better but his back protested and he settled back with a grunt of pain.

Instantly, Kagome was standing over his bedside, taking out some sort of salve and stripping off the bandages they must have wrapped him in while he'd been out. It also meant he really couldn't see anything aside from her and the pillows stacked on his other side. So instead he took a deep inhale.

He nearly choked on it.

There was the expected scents of the house, himself, Kagome, even a scrap of Naraku's, that seemed to oddly, be coming from the bandages, but overlaying everything was Sesshomaru.

Gods what the hell had happened? Did he bathe in Eau de Sesshomaru or something? He sniffed along his arm and nearly gagged. The scent was even worse on his skin. What the fuck?

Wait.. had Sesshomaru been holding him at some point? He could remember hands, combing through his hair while he'd been sick. Had that been Sesshomaru?

Not a chance! Sesshomaru wouldn't spit on him if he were on fire. So what gives?

"Where," he coughed, clearing his throat, "Where's Sesshomaru?"

"Here," came Seshomaru's calm voice, directly behind Inuyasha.

Inuyasha nearly jumped out of his skin. He flipped onto his back and sat up, looking briefly like a stranded fish as he flopped into position, ignoring the burning in his scars. But he didn't care, having that bastard at his back plain freaked him out.

Sesshomaru stood against the wall opposite the bed, looking - as always - as though he could wait out the world. But something was off, the image jarring with Inuyasha's memory.

"What the hell happened to your clothes?"

Kagome stifled a snort of laughter even as she tried to get Inuyasha to lie back down, her healer's hands trying to be insistent, impersonal and sensitive all at once, turning them into an ignorable flutter of movement. He batted them away but instead she merely switched to dressing his wounds while he sat up, probably was easier anyway.

It was weird that he'd noticed Sesshomaru's clothes.  After everything that had happened, some of which his fucked up memory wasn't sure _had_ happened; to notice Sesshomaru's wardrobe choice shouldn't be at the top of his priority list.

But it was.

Sesshomaru was standing there in a plain white cotton kimono, so clashing with Inuyasha's view of the world that he couldn't let it slide.

Sesshomaru glared at him for a few moments, but finally answered, "My clothes are being cleaned of the detritus of tracking you down and tending to you."

Inuyasha's jaw dropped, "Me.. but," and then a flash of memory, the bite, right before the searing pain. Inuyasha leapt to his feet, Kagome crying out in protest, a mix of growling and panting escaping him as he yelled, "You son of a bitch! Why the hell did you mark me?! I was hours from being out of your hair for good. Why didn't you just let me go?" Inuyasha's eyes stung and pain clawed at his chest that had nothing to do with his injuries.

"Why?" he demanded, his voice a scratchy whisper. "You were happy enough to leave me to my father." Inuyasha snapped his teeth shut on the slip even as he saw Sesshomaru's expression darken.

"That creature is not your father," Sesshomaru growled.

Inuyasha hadn't meant to call Naraku father. He'd already told himself Naraku was just another monster, but he couldn’t seem to shake what Naraku had done to him. He shuddered. It was a sick irony really since he'd been so bad at performing the part of son when he'd been in Naraku's 'care'. Still, he felt defiance stiffen his spine.

"Yeah, well, you ain't my brother neither."

"Inuyasha please sit back down," Kagome pleaded, putting a restraining hand on his arm. He shook her off.

"Why!"

Sesshomaru opened his mouth, his expression supercilious, when his nose twitched and his face...changed.

Inuyasha blanched, scrubbing furiously at his eyes. He hadn't actually cried had he? Gods that would be just what he need, Sesshomaru seeing at his most pathetic.

Sesshomaru cleared his throat and Inuyasha glared at him once more. And for a moment Sesshomaru almost looked guilty - or maybe just awkward. "I did not abandon you Inuyasha when I left Naraku's estate. I simply stepped back in order to better assess the situation and decide where to go from there."

"Bullshit! I heard you remember! You were even talking with Naraku about the business."

Kagome gasped, as she turned slack jawed to stare at Sesshomaru.

Sesshomaru raised his eyes to the roof as if seeking patience. "I was lying, obviously. I had no desire for Naraku to know of our blood ties.'

Inuyasha laughed; a horrible, hollow sound, even to his own ears. "Of course you fucking didn't! You never have! Why on earth did I ever look up to you I.." Inyashsa cut himself off, biting his lip. He hadn't meant to say that. He had never wanted Sesshomaru to know that. His eyes prickled and he could feel himself losing control again. He took a deep breath.

"Let me go."

"Inuyasha, it's too dangerous..." Kagome began, but Inuyasha turned on her.

"That isn't your fucking choice is it?" he barked.

"It was not shame that kept me silent in front of Naraku." Sesshmaru said quietly.

"You god damn liar! Its why you got rid of me in the first place!"

Sesshomaru ignored that and said. "Naraku is a particularly dangerous youkai, a fact you are no doubt all too aware of." Inuyasha shuddered, "Indeed. If he were discover that a blood relative of mine was in his possession, my half-brother no less."

"We aren't brothers!"

Sesshomaru's eye twitched, and his whole body tensed, but this time he didn't attack, "So you have said, never the less the fact remains that we are blood relatives. Naraku would have a myriad of ways to use you against me."

"That still doesn’t' explain why you're makin' me stay."

"We cannot allow you to leave in your condition and with the Shikon no Tama."

"Don't give me that crap! You made the claim before you even knew I had the jewel!"  He was pretty sure that Sesshomaru hadn't known he'd had it on him. Inuyasha grabbed at his throat, determined to rip off the stupid stone once and for all, then frowned looking down when his hand met air. His stomach dropped out of him as he saw the fractured splash of the Shikon no Tama spread over his chest.

"What the hell.." he whispered. His eyes darted around the room; then he half leapt, half fell sideways off the bed, stumbling towards the full-length mirror hanging on a wardrobe.

The Shikon no Tama, no longer a marble, still looked like stone rather than skin; tentatively he reached up towards his chest. The Shikon was like smoothest of skin under his fingertips, unnaturally so, but the touch sent an odd tingle under his flesh and he dropped his hand.

An ear flicked back towards back at the creak of a floorboard and he focused on Kagome's reflection as she came cautiously round the foot of the bed.

"Inuyasha, please let me explain."

Inuyasha whirled on her, "What the fuck is this," he snarled. "What the hell have you...!"

Suddenly they were gone. He stood in front of himself, laying flat out on the ground before Kagome, her shirt gone, the same chaotic tangle of jewel blazing out from her chest, as from his. But the him on the floor was different. He could see the jewel's half-marble form stuck to his flesh with only small tendrils beginning to ooze out into the surrounding flesh. But even as he watched the jewel gave a small pulse and one line reached almost imperceptivity further out.

He came back to himself gasping. Sesshomaru was now next to Kagome, but she had a restraining hand on his arm, as though holding him back.

"What the hell was that?" Inuyasha panted.

"That was the Shikon no Tama speaking." Kagome replied simply.

He glared at her, "And what the fuck is that supposed to mean?"

"The Shikon no tama wanted to show you what you had trouble remembering. One of the ways it communicates is pretty much just showing you what it wants you to see. It can talk in other ways but we won't worry about that for now. Right now you need to get back into bed, let me finish dressing your wounds and rest up for the next couple of days. You can ask me all you want then."

Inuyasha's legs trembled slightly. He felt a bit better than he had in bathroom. He no longer felt like ripping out his stomach in pure frustration at the thing, but that all over weakness was still there. Whatever was going on it was draining his already low energies. He'd have to bide his time.

But what about Naraku?

"Naraku?" he asked. He saw Sesshomaru's lips twist in distaste but he wasn't sure if that was because he simply hadn't obeyed or because he'd said Naraku's name.

He replied in any case, "We are unsure. If he was to follow you I would have thought he would have done so already."

"That's cause he's not here right now! He'll be on my heels the moment he gets back!" Inuyasha started to look round, he eyes darting almost mournfully at the bed that he now couldn't return to. It was no good, He couldn't stay here with Naraku right on the border.

"Actaully," Kagome piped up, "I think we won't have to worry about Naraku for the time being." Both Sesshomaru and Inuyasha stared at her.

"Are you finally going to explain what you found then?" Sesshomaru asked, a terse note in his voice. She nodded but motioned towards Inuyasha.

"You get back into bed and I'll tell you."

"Like hell! I'm not doing a damn thing until you - hey what are you doin'!" Inuyasha protested as Sesshomaru was by him in second and picked him up bodily before dropping him unceremoniously on the bed - his patience clearly at an end.

Inuyasha winced slightly at the landing and would have sprang right back up but another wave of dizziness kept him down and Kagome was immediately back to work.

"You can speak and tend at the same time." Sesshomaru stated flatly, when she didn't immediately start.

Kagome gave a distracted nod, as she soaked a bandage with salve. "Right, well as best as I can see the Shikon no Tama is doing its best to get rid of the brand and it seems to be working."

Inuyasha looked at her wide-eyed, "You sure?! But how? And why didn't it do it as soon as you gave me it?"

Kagome waved her hand at Sesshomaru, "He suggested it actually, and I confirmed it when I examined you. When you first came here I got a very strong sense of Naraku's youki, it was nearly overwhelming yours."

Inuyasha's eyes widened, "But then why the hell did you insist on bringing me here? Why didn't you just blast me off these lands?"

Kagome gave him a lopsided grin, "I said 'nearly overwhelmed', but it wasn't completely and the Shikon no Tama recognized you right off."

Inuyasha thought back to that pulse of power he'd first felt from Kagome, as he'd stood, stumbling miserably, in that dell. "So it was the Shikon's power I felt from you when we first met?"

Kagome nodded, "Yeah kinda like a sonar ping of magic, checking to see you really were a ..." But she trailed off, pursing her lips as she frowned. She glanced at Sesshomaru then back at Inuyasha.

"A guardian." Sesshomaru deadpanned.

"Hmm I wonder about that actually."

"Don't you know?!" Inuyasha asked, incredulous.

She tapped a forefinger against her chin, thinking, her words coming carefully, "Well I've been calling myself a Guardian because that's what other people, who've protected it have called themselves, but now, now I'm not so sure."

"And what has made you alter your opinion?" Sesshomaru asked, and to Inuyasha's great surprise he could see a minute twitching in Sesshomaru's jaw, like he was impatient. It then occurred to Inuyasha that this woman Kagome, had frequently ignored or annoyed Sesshomaru, even in the short time he'd seen or heard them together. Pretty surprising she was still alive; maybe it has something to do with the jewel.

Maybe he could figure out how to do it too.

Kagome went on, "Well, now that I've seen what its doing I think 'Guardian' would better describe you Sesshomaru."

Sesshomaru went absolutely rigid. "Excuse me? I have no desire to have anything to do with that accursed rock."

Inuyasha felt a pang in his chest, but, oddly dijointed, like it hadn't come from him. Had it been the jewel? Kagome just shrugged her shoulders, "Like it or not that seems to be what's happening. When I gave Inuyasha's half to him and the Shikon didn't react, but wouldn't let go." She addressed Inuyasha again, "You tried to pull it off before you left didn't you?"

Inuyasha's eyebrows shot up in surprise, "Yeah, stupid thing wouldn't come off, so I figured I'd worry about it later. How'd you know?" Inuyasha saw an odd expression flit over Sesshomaru's face, but didn't know what it could mean.

Kagome tapped her chest, "The Shikon told me while you were out. I also got a few other answers from it too. I've been mulling it over and I think you and I, Inuyasha, would more appropriately be called Avatars of the Shikon no Tama."

Inuyasha was about to ask what she meant by that, but Sesshomaru interrupted "It is not important what you call yourselves. What did you find when you looked at him?" demanded Sesshomaru.

Inuyasha stared open mouthed as Sesshomaru came round to stand over Kagome, obviously trying to encourage speed with intimidation. Kagome's single raised eyebrow said it wasn't working very well.

She waved her hand casually at him, "Calm the fuck down Sessh-"

Kagome slapped a hand over her mouth, aghast, blushing furiously, as Sesshomaru stared at her. Inuyasha too felt his eyes widen. He hadn't known her very long but she didn't seem the type to just casually swear, not like he had found himself doing ever since he'd regained his freedom. A habit he'd picked up from a neighborhood kid with the first family who had adopted him.

Kagome looked up at Sesshomaru, grinning sheepishly, "Sorry about that Sesshomaru, I'm- I'm not sure where that came from." She cast an odd furtive glance at Inuyasha. "Anyway I'll tell you what I found." She turned more fully towards Inuyasha ignoring the towering Daiyoukai who was still staring down at her. "It seems that Sesshomaru's youki is driving out Naraku's and in the ensuing fight the Shikon no Tama took the chance to bond with you."

"But why didn't it do it before?" Inuyasha asked.

"Well, I don't think it liked Naraku's youki or maybe just doesn't like Naraku."

Inuyasha jabbed a finger at Sesshomaru, "And what? It thought that Sesshomaru's was just dandy did it?" Sesshomaru glared at him but didn't say anything.

Kagome grinned, "Yeah, I guess so. I think the Shikon no Tama wants to choose its own guardians now and that's why it wanted living Avatars, rather than being stuck in that marble."

"And what makes you come to this conclusion," Sesshomaru asked.

She shrugged, "Some of what the Shikon has said and some of it's just guess work on my part. Like I was saying before this isn't an exact science."

"So your hypothesis is that the Shikon no tama has elected me to this role." Sesshomaru's voice was very rigid. He didn't seem to relish that prospect at all, but Inuyasha didn't have much sympathy for him. One because the bastard didn't deserve any and two he felt Sesshomaru hadn't really gotten the raw end of this whole business.

"It's not that surprising really," Kagome expanded, her voice taking on a mentoring tone, "You've known about half the stone for decades now and haven't done a thing to get it. You're a daiyoukai and you own the territory it considers its own."

"Okay that all makes sense I guess, but why the hell did it go after me?" demanded Inuyasha.

Again that impassive shrug, it even seemed to Inuyasha that the more she spoke about the jewel the older she seemed to become. Not in looks but in her speech and her confidence.

"How old are you?" he suddenly asked.

She gave him a crooked smile, her eyes dancing. "You should never ask a lady her age."

His reply was immediate, "I ain't, I'm asking you."

Her hand shot out and smacked him upside the head so fast he only had time to wince at the whooshing past his head. "Inuyasha!" she cried at the same time he yelled out clamping his hand to the back of his scalp.

It hadn't hurt, it hadn't done more then ruffle his hair, but it could have. She had moved inhumanly fast and as she stood there, cross look on her face, hands on hips in indignation, something in his chest eased.

Kagome really could have hurt him then and she hadn't. And there was something else too, a feeling he hadn't had in a long time, faint but still there; a sense of...camaraderie, yeah that was it. It took him a second to remember when he'd last felt it before he remembered Kouga. The feeling buzzed through him and the corner of his mouth nudged up just a bit.

She looked at him surprised before giving him another of those bright smiles, then sat back in the chair, getting back to work on his bandages.

Sesshomaru was staring at the pair of them and Inuyasha was startled to see he looked confused. It was always hard to tell with him, but even though his face was nearly as blank as ever Inuyasha was almost positive the daiyoukai was baffled. Huh, weird.

Kagome had just finished re-wrapping his wound, when Sesshomaru spoke up. "I will leave this matter for now. I must return to my estate to attend to business."

Inuyasha was about to give him a parting jibe when pain flared in his chest, a hacking cough bursting from his lungs.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome cried out in alarm as Sesshomaru demanded, "What has happened?"

"I don't know!" Kagome snapped back. "The jewel its...its angry or something. I can't sort out why!"

Inuyasha could here the floorboards creak as both Sesshomaru and Kagome leaned over him. Almost instantly the pain eased and he was able to gasp a lungful air, drinking it in greedily. It took his mind a second to work out what had happened and for a few moments he was struck dumb by the realization.

No. No it can't be that. Oh please don't be that.

Inuyasha looked up at the two faces staring down at him. Kagome was frowning at him, her brow wrinkled in confusion. Then she glanced over at Sesshomaru before her expression cleared in comprehension. She looked between them for a few moments before she straightened.

"Right well I have things I need to get done," she said abruptly and Inuyasha stared at her as she moved swiftly towards the door; his whole body tensing with nerves as she got further away, but nothing happened.

Sesshomaru too simply looked after her as she stepped through the door, a bemused expression flitting over his face. When she was through the door he seemed to come back to himself and with a final glance at Inuyasha moved towards the door as well.

An invisible band squeezed a fresh gasp from Inuyasha's lungs.

"Sesshomaru stop." barked Kagome as she stepped back through the door. He froze and the pressure around Inuyasha's chest eased immediately.

"What the hell?" he panted, glaring at Kagome as she came to the end of the bed.

Kagome let out an exasperated sigh, running a hand through her hair. "Sesshomaru you can't leave Inuyasha for the moment I'm afraid."

They both stared at her before they both spoke at once. "I must return to the estate." "I don't need him!"

She waited until they were both quiet again. "Right, well Sesshomaru if you want to return to your estate and your oh so vital work then I'm afraid Inuyasha will have to go with you."

"That even worse then being stuck here!" Inuyasha protested.

Kagome put her hands on her hips, "Well if you don't go Inuyasha that pain will be back the second Sesshomaru steps away."

There was silence for a moment, "Why?" Inuyasha half-growled

"Because it's not what the Shikon wants. I said before I think it wanted Avatars so that it could exert its own will. Well what it seems to want at the moment is for Sesshomaru to stay close to you. Each time he's acted like he's going to leave I get a wave of pissed off from it until he steps back."

"And why is that," asked Sesshomaru.

Kagome shrugged, "Can't say, I'm only getting emotion from it at the moment and all Inuyasha seems to be able to pick up at this point is pain."

"So what, he's gotta stay a certain distance to me now?!" Inuyasha asked, alarmed. Gods this just kept getting worse.

"I...I don't think its a matter of distance," Kagome frowned, thinking, "I think its more that he tried to leave before. Look, you're in no condition to defend yourself, Inuyasha." He immediately opened his mouth to protest, but she put a hand to forestall him. "No you're not and so it seems only natural that the Shikon wants to keep the guardian it picked out close, when its Avatar isn't it the greatest shape."

"Do you believe that to be the only reason?" Sesshomaru asked quietly. Kagome regarded him for a second.

"No," she said slowly, "But I can't figure out any other reasons at the moment. Can you?"

Sesshomaru didn't reply, simply looked away from her. Inuyasha could tell they were both keeping stuff back but he hadn't a frickin' clue what those things might be and his headache was starting to get worse. He let out a groan resting his head in his hands.

"Very well, if you think Inuyasha will remain unaffected by the relocation. I shall bring him with me."

All Inuyasha could do was let out another groan.

 


End file.
